Khan Continues Kiwi’s Rule in G1 Australian Derby

Karaka graduate Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor) proved he was the best staying three-year-old in Australasia when he conquered the Group 1 A$2million BMW Australian Derby (2400m) yesterday at Royal Randwick.

Mongolian Khan victorious in the Group 1 BMW Australian Derby.

Marking himself as the first horse to win both the Group 1 New Zealand Derby and Group 1 Australian Derby since Bonecrusher’s (NZ) (Pag-Asa) accomplishment 30 years ago, Mongolian Khan capped off a brilliant three-year-old season with his second Group 1 victory for trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.

Carrying the colours of Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group, headed by Mr Lang Lin, Mongolian Khan became the seventh winner of the Group 1 Australian Derby in the past nine years to be sold or bred in New Zealand.

Both the Group 1 Australian Derby and Group 1 Victoria Derby, the two most prestigious Derbies in Australia, have been won by horses purchased at Karaka with Mongolian Khan’s victory following the win of Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel) in the Group 1 Victoria Derby earlier this season.

It was fruitful day for kiwi horses at the first day of The Championship with Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo) winning the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap, the seventh New Zealand bred winner of the race in the past eight years. Earlier in the day Tremec (NZ) (Zabeel) landed his second win in the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap having won the race in 2013, kicking off a great day for New Zealand.

A winner of six of his eight career starts entering the race, Mongolian Khan finished fifth in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas at his first start in Australia, a race won by fellow kiwi Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ) (Tavistock).

“It was a very special win for a whole lot of different reasons,” commented Forsman. “More so for what it’s going to do for us as a stable and with the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group involved, but also what it’s going to mean for the New Zealand racing industry – I think that is probably the biggest buzz.

“Entering this race was no different from going into the Rosehill Guineas, it was just bit of a flat run at Rosehill and we just have to put that behind us. The reason we took him over there was to win the Derby and so we just had to push on and know that he is a better horse over 2400m.”

Top New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson made the trip to Sydney to play his part in Mongolian Khan’s Derby success and was one of the first away as they jumped from an inside barrier to race handy on the rail. Hampton Court (Redoute’s Choice) took the lead and, as they worked past the 1200m, Mongolian Khan crept into third place while fellow Kiwi Volkstok’n’barrell followed in fourth on the outside of Hauraki (Reset).

Getting an inside run on the turn for home, Volkstok’n’barrell and Hauraki made ground to join Hampton Court and were closely followed by Mongolian Khan who made it a tightly run trio as he squeezed between the inside runners. The trio fought each other for the lead but Mongolian Khan surged through in the final moments to claim victory over Hauraki  and Volkstok’n’barrell who finished in second and third place respectively.

“He will be on the plane home next Tuesday to spell for six to eight weeks and then come back in and prepare for Melbourne in the Spring,” noted Forsman.

Winning seven of his nine starts, the three-year-old colt has earned A$1,908,333 to date for his owner Mr Lang Lin of the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ) (Ltd).

Mongolian Khan was purchased at the 2013 Select Sale for $140,000 by Bryce and Ginger Tankard’s Waikato Bloodstock from Ainsley Downs Stud. He returned to the 2013 Ready to Run Sale and was purchased for $220,000 by the China Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Group from Regal Farm.

Bred by Grenville Stud, the son of Holy Roman Emperor is out of unraced mare Centafit (Centaine) who is a full-sister to stakes winner Centalong-Super Fit (H.K.), winner of the HK-1 Hong Kong Derby. Mongolian Khan is a half-brother to Young Centaur (Jeune), winner of the Group 1 Wellington Cup.

Mongolian Khan’s victory topped off a successful weekend of racing for Baker and Forsman’s stable who also produced Group 1 success at home with Diademe (NZ) (Savabeel) winning the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes. To view the article, click here.