Osipenko (NZ) Adds to Karaka Roll in Frank Packer Plate

Karaka graduates have had an outstanding recent run in the A$200,000 Group Three Toyota Forklifts Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick, and Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro) continued that trend with a classy performance on Saturday.

The fourth New Zealand Bloodstock graduate to win the race in the last five years, Osipenko was bought for $160,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. He has now had nine starts for three wins and two placings, earning A$798,625 in prize-money.

With his Frank Packer Plate heroics on Saturday, he followed in the footsteps of last year’s winner Verona (NZ) (Belardo) and the 2020 and 2019 winners, Kinane (NZ) (Reliable Man) and The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel), who were all also Karaka graduates.

Osipenko had already shown real quality this season, placing in the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in the spring and scoring an outstanding win in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes (1400m) in February.

However, the autumn ambitions of the colt and his connections were dealt a cruel blow when he was scratched from the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) due to a temperature.

Trainer Chris Waller was forced to rejig his campaign, and he instead made his next two starts against older horses in Group One company – finishing seventh in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and sixth in the Doncaster Mile (1600m).

Osipenko was expected to be too good when he stepped back down to his own age group in Saturday’s Frank Packer Plate, and he did not disappoint.

“Things haven’t quite gone his way this autumn,” Waller said. “He had a temperature spike on race morning when he was favourite for the Randwick Guineas, and for a colt to win the Randwick Guineas, it’s almost a $20m price tag.

“That temperature on Randwick Guineas morning was very hard to take for my team and for the owners, and we probably still haven’t recovered in terms of his value.

“That was frustrating, but we’ve looked after him and he’s come back. He ran well on a wet track in the Doncaster, and he’s bounced back today with a good win. Now we know he can run 2000 metres, and there’s some great 2000-metre races in the spring.

“The boys and girls at home say he’s a Group One horse in waiting, so he’ll get his turn in the spring.”

Osipenko was ridden by Nash Rawiller in the Frank Packer Plate, and after spending most of the race biding his time at the tail of the five-horse field, he produced an irresistible finish down the straight to score a comfortable win.

“He’s a talented horse, as we all know,” Rawiller said. “He ticked another box today, running the 2000 metres, and he did that nice and strong. I was very happy with the way he relaxed in the run, and then he showed his usual turn of foot, which was good.

“He’s a promising colt. He missed the Randwick Guineas, which would have been his main aim for the autumn. He went to the George Ryder and ran well. He was probably the best out of the three-year-olds in the Doncaster.

“I think he’s the sort of horse that’s learned his craft a little bit, and he’s come a long way this preparation. These slowly run races, they actually probably teach them more than a hard-run race, which would’ve suited him better. He’s got an explosive turn of foot and he helps himself by the way he settles, and today he was a more than worthy winner.”

Osipenko was bought at Karaka by Guy Mulcaster on behalf of Chris Waller Racing and the Kaha Syndicate.

Vendor	Valachi Downs
Purchaser	Kaha/Chris Waller Racing (New South Wales)
Breeding	Pierro – Raskova
Sale	Lot 60, Karaka 2021 Book 1, $160,000
Bred by	K J Hickman ONZM