Karaka Trifecta in Parramatta Cup

The familiar blue and white colours of kiwi syndicators Go Racing were carried to a dominant victory in Saturday’s A$140,000 Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m) at Rosehill, heading a clean sweep for Karaka graduates. 

The impressive winner was Mightybeel (NZ) (Savabeel), who was bought by Go Racing for $200,000 from Little Avondale Stud’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2019. He has now had 15 starts for six wins, four placings and A$347,455 in stakes.

Strong-finishing second placegetter No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) was a $40,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2018. A half-brother to the multiple Group One winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park), he has won five of his 23 starts and A$336,200.

Another length away in third was Toomuchtobear (NZ) (Press Statement), who cost $120,000 in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. He has earned A$324,440 in an 11-start, five-win career. Remarkably, all of the first three placegetters come from the all-conquering stable of champion expat New Zealand trainer Chris Waller.

But Mightybeel was the star of Saturday’s show. After spending most of the race in eighth place among a field of 14, rider Tommy Berry released the brakes in the straight and the exciting four-year-old swept to the front with stunning ease. Mightybeel bounded clear through the final 150 metres, scoring by two and a half lengths.

“It is not too often in staying races where you’re just giggling to yourself around the 1200-metre mark,” Berry said.

“He has come back a much more relaxed type this preparation. He is quite exciting – he can go to the next level now, and he’s in at the right time of the year.”

Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth suggested that Mightybeel will now be aimed at the A$2m Group One Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 9.

“That was a fantastic victory,” Duckworth said. “He is ultra-consistent, he is incredibly tough and he is obviously pretty classy too. The Sydney Cup is where he will go. He stays unbelievably well.

“If you scroll back a year from today, he ran around Canterbury over 1550 metres, and we were going to spell him. James McDonald actually rode him that night and suggested pushing on to a Derby. He came undone when we stepped him up in journey, because it was all a bit too quick.

“We have waited a year and he is living up to expectations. He is a proper, Group-class horse.”

Mightybeel is related to one of the modern-day greats of Australasian staying ranks. His granddam is a half-sister to Benediction (Day Is Done), whose son Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel) was a legendary winner of the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) double in 1997.

Vendor	Little Avondale Stud
Purchaser	Go Racing (Auckland)
Breeding	Savabeel – Super Power
Sale	Lot 450, Karaka 2019 Book 1, $200,000
Bred by	Barlow Thoroughbred