Karaka 2YO Scores Stakes Win in Melbourne

Karaka Sale graduate Marcado (Choisir) produced an outstanding debut performance to win the Listed A$120,000 Talindert Stakes (1100m) for two-year-olds on a Group 1 day of racing at Flemington on Saturday.

Marcado winning the Listed Talindert Stakes at Flemington.

The Premier Sale yearling graduate, purchased by his trainer Steve Richards, entered his first raceday appearance having won a barrier trial impressively at Cranbourne at the end of January.

Ridden by Steven King, Marcado was slightly slow to begin down the straight course at Flemington but recovered quickly to work through to the lead in the early stages of the sprint race.

The son of Choisir drifted down to the inside rail as he was left in front alone but kept his momentum going as he established a break on the field. A strong late challenge from Orujo (Exceed and Excel) was repelled with Marcado winning by 0.75 of a length, with a further 1.7 lengths back to race-favourite Lady Sharapova (Fastnet Rock) in third.

“We have got a good opinion of the horse and we always planned to run him in this race,” commented Richards. “He has always shown a lot of promise and he delivered on Saturday.

“He comes through this race and will go to the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce. He has pulled up terrific so we are looking forward to the race in a few weeks’ time.

“It was a bonus winning the race on Saturday to be truthful, we believe he will be a 1400m or 1600m horse. He is a mature, strong type but you can see the improvement in him when he comes back as a spring three-year-old.

“He was just a lovely horse when I went to look at him. He is from a beautiful family and if the mare was ever going to get anything it was going to be by this sire. I know Choisir very well because he stayed with me when Paul Perry came to Melbourne when he won the Lightning before he went to England.

“I used to look at Choisir and think what a magnificent horse, I just fell in love with him and when I looked at this horse I could see a lot of Choisir in him, he is the closest thing to him. He was a beautiful natured colt, you could do anything with him so we just had to get him and we were lucky enough to get him.”

The debut victory of Marcado earned A$72,000 for the gelding’s owners Mr P E Miall, Mr J Hymet, Mr W T Threadgold, Mr F Dintinosante, Split Three Ways & Pvsupers.

Bred by C J & K B Webber, Marcado is by dual hemisphere Group 1 winning sprinter Choisir and is out of Circles of Ice (Marauding), a half-sister to Gold Anthem (Made of Gold) who is the dam of Choisir’s best performed son Starspangledbanner, also a dual hemisphere Group 1 winning sprinter. Marcado is a half-brother to Listed winner Tagine (Last Tycoon) and also the stakes performer Trisara (Dehere).

Richards purchased Marcado at the 2013 Karaka Premier Sale for $90,000 from Jamieson Park. A full-sister to Marcado was purchased by NZB as agent at the 2014 Karaka Premier Sale for $60,000 from Bradbury Park.