Karaka Graduates Continue Dominance of 2000 Guineas

A remarkable period of dominance by Karaka graduates of the $400,000 Group 1 Sothys New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) continued at Riccarton on Saturday as Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto) led home an all-Karaka trifecta.

It was the sixth year in a row that the winner of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas is a graduate of the Karaka sales complex.

Ridden by Michael Coleman for trainer Stephen Marsh, Ugo Foscolo led all the way in the 1600-metre classic and held on strongly to score by a length and a quarter from the fast-finishing Savile Row (NZ) (Makfi) and Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock).

Purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $50,000 at the 2015 Select Sale, Ugo Foscolo has now won five of his six starts and more than $345,000 in stakes. He is raced by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock in partnership with Tony Muollo, Patrick O’Rourke, Rhoda Phillippo, Todd Bawden and Kevin Hickman.

“This horse has a really nice cruising speed,” Coleman said. “He does it easily in front. In the straight I was waiting for something to come up and challenge me, but no one did. Jeez, he was pretty strong.

“This horse is trained by a master in Stephen Marsh. I’m really thankful to him, Lib Petagna and Bruce Perry. They stuck with me and we got a big one today. It’s really lovely to ride the special ones like this.”

Runner-up Savile Row cost $120,000 at the 2015 Premier Sale, while Heroic Valour – already a Group 1 winner in the Diamond Stakes (1200m) – was bought for $400,000 at the Premier Sale.

Ugo Foscolo’s win follows the 2000 Guineas victories in the previous five years by fellow Karaka graduates Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire), Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj), Atlante (Fastnet Rock), Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Rock ‘N’ Pop (Fastnet Rock).