King's Ransom Catapults Into Karaka Million Final Fourteen
18 January 2009
The $100,000 prize pool of yesterday's Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) at Trentham was the target for eight Karaka Million contenders trying to secure last minute entry into next weekend's race, with King's Ransom taking the spoils and a guaranteed spot in the $1,000,000 event.
King's Ransom (King's Chapel - Joan, by Colonel Collins) drew barrier fourteen in the thirteen horse field after Sophia Babe (Iglesia) was a late scratching at the start. Given a wonderful ride by jockey Troy Harris, he was able to find cover during running, then later unleashed his big stride down centre track to race away to a scintillating victory by two and a quarter lengths over fellow Karaka Million entrant Veldt (Volksraad - Jumble, by Kaapstad), with a further three-quarters of a length back to Spirit of Unicorn (Elusive City - Our Lovely Unicorn, by Kaapstad) in third.
Both the first, second and fourth horse home, Numero De Lago (Encosta De Lago-Statistic, by Mr. Prospector), have guaranteed themselves a berth in the Karaka Million field on January 25 at Ellerslie providing they pull up well and connections are happy for them to partake.
King's Ransom now sits second in the Karaka Million Order of Entry behind leader Katie Lee (Pins - Miss Jessie Jay, by Spectacularphantom) with $64,775 in accumulated earnings, while Veldt is in fifth position on $26,815, and Numero De Lago in fifteenth position having earned $9,925 this season.
Trained by Mark Walker of Te Akau Racing - sponsor of Race One on Karaka Million evening - King's Ransom becomes the seventh horse for the stable to break into the top 22 horses in the Order of Entry.
The chestnut, in the mould of his sire, was purchased by David Ellis for $75,000 from the 2008 Select Yearling Sale from Windsor Park Stud who have six yearlings from their 2008 Karaka draft representing them in the top 22 Karaka Million eligible horses.
The top 20 horses in the Karaka Million Order of Entry will not change between now and the Karaka Million race evening, with the final race that could potentially affect the field, a two-year-old maiden at Wellington on Monday, not attracting competitors with enough accumulated earnings to affect these positions.
Thus the field will now depend on which eligible horses, and their connections, choose to contest the richest two-year-old race in New Zealand. Confirmed non-starters thus far include Winter King (4th position), Brazilian Princess (7th position), Dawned (13th position) and Regal Flame (20th position).
Significantly, King's Ransom was the first winner for his sire King's Chapel (King of King's) the 2004 New Zealand Horse of the Year who stands at Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge. A winner of The Telegraph Handicap on this very weekend five years ago, and also trained by Mark Walker, King's Chapel has started his stallion career exceptionally, with his first winner claiming victory in a Group 2 event renowned for throwing up class horses of the future.
Wahid (Almutawakel) won the race three years ago and went onto to win the Group 1 New Zealand Derby, two years ago The Pooka (Tobougg) won the race and then won the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas as a three-year old, and Captain Fantastic (Fantastic Light) won the race last year before going on to perform admirably in Australia.
King's Chapel will be represented by thirteen yearlings at Karaka 2009 beginning on 26 January. Included in his representation is a full sister to King's Ransom at Lot 571. Their dam Joan won two races including the Listed Dunedin Guineas, and has been terrific at stud leaving four foals to race for three winners including five-time winner and stakes placed Jotilla (Umatilla) to go with King's Ransom, now a winner at Group 2 level. In the Premier Session, King's Chapel, is represented by Lot 417, a half brother to Group 1 AJC Australian Oaks and Group 1 Metropolitan winner Coco Cobanna.