Lion’s Roar (NZ) Breaks Through $2m Barrier

After a while between drinks, the A$250,000 Group Three Schweppes Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day marked a welcome return to stakes-winning form for Lion's Roar (NZ) (Contributer) – a Karaka graduate who also has a full-sister catalogued for Karaka 2024.

Lion’s Roar was bought for $65,000 from Wellfield Lodge’s Book 2 draft at Karaka 2019. His Boxing Day performance took his career earnings past A$2m from a 30-start career that has produced five wins and eight placings.

Lion’s Roar showed his abundant talent as a three-year-old during the 2020-21 season, scoring a brilliant come-from-behind victory in the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) and placing in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and Australian Derby (2400m).

The quality gelding had not won another black-type race since then, although he had placed in numerous other features in between times including two editions of the A$2m Group Two The Ingham (1600m). But the drought was broken on Boxing Day with an outstanding win.

Lion’s Roar surged forward out of the starting gates and took up a position in second behind the pacemaking Baby Rider (Gleneagles). Lion’s Roar overhauled that rival soon after rounding the home turn, but he later faced a fresh threat as Luncies (Iffraaj) dived through nearer the inside.

Lion’s Roar rose to that challenge and held Luncies at bay, holding on grimly to win by a long neck with Tyler Schiller in the saddle.

“He's always dancing the big dance and he hasn't had a lot of luck barrier-wise either,” trainer John O’Shea said. “We are very proud of him and if you have a stable full of those horses, life is easy. He's now broken the $2m mark, and we got him for $65,000 out of New Zealand.

“And hopefully it hasn't finished. This win is a little kick-along for him and he'll go to the paddock now with his tail in the air. There's no reason why he couldn't pick up another race or two next season.”

Lion’s Roar capped a bumper Boxing Day for Lion’s Roar’s sire Contributer, who also sired his second individual Group One winner when Campionessa (NZ) took out the Zabeel Classic (2050m) at Pukekohe. Contributer has 16 yearlings catalogued for Book 1 of Karaka 2024, along with 17 in Book 2.

Prima Park will offer Lion’s Roar’s full-sister during Book 1 of Karaka 2024. The filly is catalogued as Lot 229.