Main Stage (NZ) Charges Home For UCI Stakes Win

There was an incredibly strong Kiwi flavour to the result of Saturday’s A$120,000 UCI Stakes (1800m) at Flemington.

It was won by the $150,000 Ready to Run Sale purchase Main Stage (NZ), by Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man and out of the well-performed Kiwi racemare Kiri (NZ) (Prized).

The gelding’s human connections are all expat New Zealanders too, being trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young and ridden in Saturday’s black-type win by Michael Walker.

With a win and three placings in his first four starts, Main Stage was among the favourites for Saturday’s race. But his prospects appeared to take a nosedive when he dropped back to last in the running. Walker didn’t panic, however, and brought his mount home with a powerful late run to win by a neck.

Raced by a huge group of owners that includes Brownlow Medal-winning AFL star Dusty Martin, Main Stage has now won two of his five starts and A$99,350 in prizemoney.

“I thought it was going to be too hard for him today, but I'm super proud of the horse,” Young said. “This horse keeps improving after every run.”

Busuttin and Young will now aim Main Stage at next month’s Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington – a race the stable won in 2011 with fellow Ready to Run Sale graduate Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel).

Another strong contester for the Victoria Derby is Main Stage’s stablemate Johnny Vinko (NZ) (Savabeel) who ran third in the UCI Stakes. Offered at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale on account of Kilmore Farm, he was purchased for $240,000 by Busuttin Racing.

The 2017 Ready to Run Sale will be held at Karaka on November 22 and 23.