Little Wonder (NZ) Sprints to Gr.3 Victory

Smart sprinter Little Wonder (NZ) (Volksraad) recorded a second Group 3 victory as he triumphed in the Group 3 $100,000 Darley Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Little Wonder (NZ) triumphant in the Group 3 Darley Plate at Ellerslie.

Trained by Stephen McKee, Little Wonder was the winner of the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes as a three-year-old last season and was Group 1 placed earlier this season when third in the Group 1 Railway Stakes.

Jockey Sam Spratt was able to find a good position mid-field with cover from a tricky barrier draw of seven in the eight-horse race. Entering the straight, there were a number of chances but it was Little Wonder who asserted his dominance to surge to the lead and claim victory by one-length with a wall of horses fighting out the minor placings.

Fellow Karaka graduate Ritch’n Unhitched (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) was able to fight back to finish second, a nose a head of Durham Town (NZ) (Falkirk) to give Karaka graduates the trifecta.

“He has been there abouts in some of the better races this season and the run at Matamata tuned him up quite nicely being a colt,” commented McKee. “Even though he had drawn out a little bit, it wasn’t a big field so we thought we could get a nice sit and he should be hard to beat.

“He has got a good turn of foot so we are hoping that he will be effective enough when he runs over a bit further.

“There are not a lot of races around, I want to find a 1400m race for him between now and Easter, if he can cope well with that then we will have a look at the Easter Handicap.

 “He has won at 1400m the only time we asked him last year. If he can cope with the 1400m against open horses I can’t see any reason why he can’t extend that out to a mile.”

The Karaka Select Sale graduate has built an impressive record, winning six of his 15 starts with a further four minor placings with earnings of $192,950 for owners B N & T M Brown & Ms F B Crimmins.

Bred by Ms F B Crimmins & M A Rendle, Little Wonder is out of the stakes placed mare Shortblackmini (Black Minnaloushe), a half-sister to six-time Group 1 winner Sir Slick, also by Volksraad. Little Wonder is closely related to Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand Derby winner Puccini (Encosta de Lago) with Shortblackmini also a half-sister to that colt.

Trevor McKee purchased Little Wonder for $67,500 at the 2011 Karaka Select Sale from Esker Lodge.