Half-Brother to Puccini at Karaka 2014

The well-bred colt Puccini (NZ) (Encosta de Lago) overcame a wide barrier to triumph in the Group 2 $100,000 Lindauer Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie yesterday, further increasing the pedigree of his family.

Puccini (NZ) winner of the Group 2 Lindauer Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie yesterday.

A half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Sir Slick (NZ) (Volksraad), Puccini has a half-brother by Zabeel in the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series catalogued at Lot 137 in the Premier Sale for Monovale Farm.

Trained by father and son duo of Peter and Jacob McKay at Matamata, the colt by Encosta de Lago entered the Group 2 feature having not raced since the Group 1 2000 Guineas at Riccarton on 9 November, where he ran a respectable fourth, however he did have a trial earlier this month in preparation for yesterday’s race.

Ridden by Mark du Plessis, Puccini drew barrier 11 in the 14-horse field and was trapped wide early in the race with du Plessis having no choice but to roll forward and sit outside the leader in a slowly run race.

On the final turn drama occurred near the tail of the field with race-favourite Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel) clipping heals and falling. Puccini was up the front and away from the trouble to hit the front early in the straight. Challenges came from the back markers but Puccini fought hard and proved too strong to win by three-quarters-of-a-length over fellow Karaka graduates Gobi Ranger (Tale of the Cat) and Chambord (NZ) (Zabeel).

“The draw was a bit of a concern but he has improved out of sight since he has been down to Christchurch, it made a bit of a man of him,” commented Peter McKay. “We were confident enough he could be competitive.

“He has got a lot of guts and determination. Sir Slick was a tough race horse and so was Little Wonder and they are all from the same family. He will get over a bit of ground too so we are looking forward to getting to the Derby with him.

“He is going to go down to Wellington for the Levin Classic, which is Group 1, then he will step up to 2000m at Waikato in the Guineas then hopefully on to the Derby after that.

“He is a beautiful horse, as a yearling he went through the sales and was probably a little bit light and didn’t reach his reserve so they sent him to us to go to the Ready to Run with or, if he showed a bit, to keep him. He is still a colt and has a bit of stallion potential with his pedigree. He is just starting to develop into a horse now and will probably be a better four-year-old.”

Yesterday was the first stakes win in the career of Puccini and second race win from 10 starts for the three-year-old who has now earned his owners, Monovale Holdings Ltd, $93,675 in prizemoney. Bred by his owners, Puccini was passed in at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale.

Puccini is out of the stakes winning mare Miss Opera (Paris Opera) who has had six horses to race that have all won. Aside from six-time Group 1 winner Sir Slick, Miss Opera has also left the stakes performed Mr Jinky – Sugar on Top (H.K.) (Volksraad) and Shortblackmini (Black Minnaloushe).