Kincaple (NZ) Melbourne Bound

Kiwi stayer Kincaple (NZ) (Pentire x Kincaple Lass) is Melbourne bound after an exciting win in Saturday’s Group 3 Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont Park.

Kincaple (NZ) Melbourne Bound

Kiwi stayer Kincaple (NZ) (Pentire x Kincaple Lass) is Melbourne bound after an exciting win in Saturday’s Group 3 Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont Park.

Kincaple has been on an injury enforced spell for the past 18 months but trainer Adam Durrant’s confidence in the son of Pentire was proved correct when the gelding raced home, as the widest runner, to pass Moonlight Drive (Catbird) and claim the win by a neck in the A$125,000 weight-for-age feature.

Kincaple won the 2011 Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) impressively for jockey Daniel Staeck and, before a tendon injury to his near foreleg halted his campaign, was favourite for the 2011 Perth Cup (2400m). 

 “This guy has a big motor and it was just a matter of me getting him up in condition,” Durrant said. “Good horses lift when they have to and today he showed what a good horse he is.”

It was the Durrant stable’s third win in the past 10 years. Durrant’s father Geoff won the 2003 edition with Dedicated Miss with Adam going one step better last year to quinella the race with Mr Moet and Chester Road.

The former Victorian-based stayer also gave Staeck his fifth win in the Strickland in the past 13 years, after wins on Finito (2000-01) for trainer Phil Humann and Marasco (2008-09) for Fred Kersley.

Seven-year-old Kincaple is now looking towards a trip to Melbourne in September.  Durrant plans to aim him at the rich country Cups circuit, but could also run him in support feature middle-distance races at Melbourne Saturday meetings.

Bred by Christchurch based obstetrician John Doig, Kincaple was a $150,000 purchase by Robert Roulston Bloodstock from Rich Hill Stud at the 2007 Karaka Premier Sale.

Kaapstad mare Kincaple Lass returned to Pentire in 2012.