'NZ' Streaking to Success Across the Tasman
29 October 2007
New Zealand horses are cutting a sensational winning streak across the Tasman, taking the recent Geelong Cup, Caulfield Cup, Moonee Valley Cup and now the most coveted WS Cox Plate.
Karaka Premier Sale graduate El Segundo (NZ) (Pins x Palos Verdes) made amends for his narrow defeat to Fields of Omagh last year by powering to an emphatic win in the Group 1 A$3,050,000 Tattersalls Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Coming from mid-field, the six-year-old gunned down the younger leaders Haradasun and Wonderful World to win by two lengths under the guidance of Luke Nolan. Pre-race hot favourite Miss Finland finished fourth. Trainer Colin Little placed his prized horse in Nolan's hands to give him his first ever ride in the race and only his second Group 1 race winner.
Purchased in 2003 by Michael Stedman for NZ$140,000, El Segundo's Cox Plate win is his fourth Group 1 scalp after victories in the Yalumba Stakes, the Underwood Stakes and the C.F Orr Stakes. He has now won on 12 occasions, and been placed on seven, for prize-money of over A$3.7 million.
Also at Moonee Valley on Saturday, Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Gallic (NZ) (Zabeel x Gesine) took out the Group 2 $300,000 Cathay Pacific Airways Cup (Moonee Valley Cup) (2500m).
A NZ$170,00 purchase at the 2001 Karaka Premier Sale from the Ra Ora/Haunui Partnership, Gallic has won on seven occasions for almost A$1.2 million in prizemoney. The eight-year-old, who has battled tendon injuries throughout his career, has been nursed along by trainer Graeme Rogerson for owner Lloyd Williams to win two Bendigo Cups, the Adelaide Cup and the more recently, the Group 1 Sydney Cup.
He will join stable-mate and fellow Karaka Premier Sale graduate Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel x Refused the Dance) in the Melbourne Cup. Top weighted for Saturday's race, Gallic will not be re-handicapped and will carry 55kgs next Tuesday, while Efficient will carry 54kgs.
Gallic and El Segundo's feature wins on Saturday continue an outstanding run by New Zealand bred thoroughbreds and New Zealand resident sires in Australia this season, with much of glory to be heaped on the Chittick family's Waikato Stud operation.
Their resident sire Pins, a son of Snippets, claims four Group 1 winners, El Segundo, G1 New Zealand Oaks and Kelt Capital Stakes winner Legs (ex River Century), G1 Bayer Classic winner Porotene Gem (ex Rubyfoo) and G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Econsul (ex Gypsy Soul).
Pins himself won seven of his 14 starts including the Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas and retired his sire's most successful offspring on the race track with over A$1.7 million in prizemoney. His dam, No Finer (by Kaoru Star), won as a two-year-old and produced seven winners including four stakes-winners.
Waikato Stud's gun sire Pins stands alongside O'Reilly, No Excuse Needed, Savabeel, Scaredee Cat and first season sire Fast 'N' Famous.
O'Reilly (Last Tycoon) is proving he also has the goods to take on the best, currently heading both the New Zealand and Australian sires tables. His success include recent Caulfield Cup winner Master O'Reilly (NZ) (ex Without Remorse), a South Island Sale graduate; West Australian Derby winner Guyno (NZ) (ex River Century) who exacted a fifth career win this Saturday in Perth; and on Sunday in Singapore Lims Objective (AUS) (ex Hasty Bird) proved his ability by winning the $500,000 Raffles Cup to make it eight wins from 12 starts, with trainer John Meagher declaring it his "Cox Plate of Singapore".
No Excuse Needed (Machiavellian), whose oldest progeny are three-years-old, also recorded a winner at the weekend with unbeaten two-year-old Vincent Mangano (ex Rationable) winning the Listed Wellesley Stakes at Trentham. Trainer Peter McKay said he has received offers for the colt but is hanging on to him for a tilt at New Zealand Bloodstock's one million dollar 'Karaka Million' on 27 January.
Last week Waikato Stud also toasted the success of Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) winner The Fuzz (NZ) (Danasinga x Drama Queen), by former resident sire Danasinga. The victory by former New Zealand galloper The Fuzz, now trained by David Hayes, has secured him a Melbourne Cup start next Tuesday.
Entered in New Zealand Bloodstock's upcoming Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs on 20 & 21 November are six two-year-olds by O'Reilly, eight by Pins, eight by No Excuse Needed, seven by Danasinga and a sole entry by Zabeel.