Group 3 Win for Charles Road

Karaka graduate Charles Road (Myboycharlie) capped a strong run of form with Group 3 victory in the $70,000 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2000m) at Awapuni on Saturday.

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained gelding had won or placed in all of his five starts, including a second to star three-year-old Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj) in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas, before running a solid sixth behind the same horse in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby.

Ridden on Saturday by Craig Grylls, Charles Road dropped back towards the rear of the field early in the race before unleashing a ferocious finish down the outside of the track to win by half a length.

Charles Road was bred by Miss A Yelland and is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Giant Mystique – a half-sister to the Karaka graduate and champion Singapore galloper War Affair (NZ) (O’Reilly).

Charles Road was offered by Wentwood Grange at the 2015 Premier Sale, where he was bought for $90,000 by David Archer. He has already recouped almost all of that in his seven racetrack appearances so far.

“He’s a nice horse,” Archer said. “That was a gutsy win.

“We thought about going to Australia this autumn, but it didn’t work out this time. Hopefully it means we’ll have a good horse next year.”

The first three horses past the post in Saturday’s race were all Karaka graduates. Runner-up Beaumarchais (NZ) (Savabeel) cost $160,000 at the 2015 Premier Sale and third-placed Leading Role (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was purchased for $28,000 at the 2015 Select Sale.

The result also added to outstanding form coming out of one of New Zealand’s most prestigious races, the Group 1 New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie at the beginning of last month. Winner Gingernuts and third-placed Jon Snow (NZ) (Iffraaj), both Karaka graduates, have gone on to bigger and better things in Sydney, and Charles Road, Beaumarchais and Leading Role also came out of the Ellerslie classic.