Little Wonder Collects Group 3 Breeders Stakes

Exciting colt Little Wonder (Volksraad x Shortblackmini) has finished his season on a high note after beating a good field of three-year-olds in Saturday’s $70,000 Group 3 Windsor Park Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa.

The Stephen McKee trained Little Wonder finished behind rival So Wotif (Iffraaj) at his last two starts leading into Saturday’s race: the Group 3 Mr Tiz Trophy where he finished a game fourth and then at Ellerslie where he finished less than a length away third.

Little Wonder pictured as a yearling

Saturday’s race saw a rematch between the pair but it was Little Wonder who came out on top. The colt travelled beautifully despite being posted three wide under jockey Sam Spratt, and in the straight he quickly found enough to take the lead from So Wotif and hold off Lucky Country (Darci Brahma) to a half-length win.

“He was trapped three wide for the trip but he stuck to his guns and finished the race in good fashion,” commented Stephen McKee. “I was a little concerned about the slow surface but he handled it well.

“He will head to the paddock now and I think that he’s going to develop into a lovely miler. We don’t have any set plans for the spring as I think he has another group win in him before he takes on the big guns in the Group 1 races.”

Little Wonder was bred by part-owner Frances Crimmins in conjunction with Tony & Barry Brown and was purchased by Trevor McKee from Tom & Shelly Murtagh’s Esker Lodge at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Select Sale for $67,500. 

The son of Volksraad is raced by Frances Crimmins and Morag Rendle and has now won four of his eight starts for almost $90,000 in stakes.

Little Wonder is the 60th stakes winner for his Champion Sire Volksraad who died in 2011. The former Windsor Park Stud resident sire was New Zealand’s Champion Sire on eight occasions and won the title six times in a row from 2001 to 2007.