Lights of Heaven (NZ) Steals NZB Championship at Caulfield
10 October 2011
Last year's Caulfield Cup winner Descarado (NZ) made a stunning return to Melbourne on Saturday by winning the final leg of the inaugural New Zealand Bloodstock Weight-for-Age Championship, the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes (2000m).
In a showcase of enormous thoroughbred talent, the four-race Championship culminated with ten points going the way of Descarado but it wasn't enough to secure him the coveted crown, with third-placed Lights of Heaven (NZ) (Zabeel x I'm In Heaven) sneaking ahead on points.
Trained by Peter Moody, Lights of Heaven's third placing saw her take home six points which she added to the eight points she collected after running second to Whobegotyou in the first race of the Championship, the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes. This gave the four-year-old a winning tally of 14 points, the Championship title, and the impressive emerald and diamond clasp pearl necklace valued at $25,000.
In a brilliant performance in the Group 1 feature, the Gai Waterhouse trained Descarado (NZ) (High Chaparral x Karamea Lady) worked early after jumping from barrier ten, and took up the running at the 1600 metre mark.
Rated perfectly by top jockey Nash Rawiller, Descarado settled beautifully in transit and shot away at the top of the straight, putting three lengths on the field that was caught napping at the point of the turn.
Second placed Avienus (Reset), who picked up eight Championship points, came from off the pace and looked to swamp Descarado, but he was full off running and held off his rivals to the line to win by three-quarters-of-a-length.
The win was a coup for Waterhouse, with Descarado taking the race with just one previous start this season, where he was ninth fresh up under 61 kilograms in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes at Rosehill.
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Descarado (NZ) leads all the way to win the |
"How appropriate that a New Zealand horse should win this New Zealand Bloodstock sponsored Caulfield Stakes.
"New Zealand thoroughbreds have played a significant role in my career with my first Group one winner being a New Zealand bred and my 106th, Descarado, a New Zealand horse as well.
"If you want to be competing at this time of the year in Melbourne you need to get to New Zealand for these wonderful horses."
Australasia's greatest weight-for-age race, the Cox Plate, has seen a major shuffle in the market after the weekend, with Descarado coming in from $41 into $15, and Helmet taking outright favouritism at $3.50 after his record performance in the Caulfield Guineas.
Saturday's Caulfield Stakes saw jockey Luke Nolen put Lights of Heaven right on the pace as she settled for the running, putting in a solid performance and showing a good turn of foot to finish just under two-and-a-half-lengths from the winner.
Each leg of the four-race New Zealand Bloodstock WFA Championship was a spring feature at Caulfield: the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes won by Whobegotyou, the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes claimed by the New Zealand bred King's Rose (Redoute's Choice), the Group 1 Underwood won by Lion Tamer, and Saturday's victor Descarado.
Whobegotyou and King's Rose were awarded ten points each for their victories, placing them third-equal in the Series with Descarado.
The kiwi Lion Tamer takes second place with eleven Championship points after winning the the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, and taking an extra point from Saturday's race.
To view the final points table for New Zealand Bloodstock's Caulfield Weight-for-Age Championship, click here.