Scapolo Breaks Through for Deserved Stakes Victory

The well-travelled and well-performed Scapolo (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) made a career breakthrough with his first stakes victory in the Group 2 $230,000 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton Park during the middle day of Cup Week.

Scapolo (NZ) wins the Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at Riccarton Park yesterday.

Trained at Kevin Myers’ Wanganui base, Scapolo has been a reliable performer with only one unplaced run in his 14-start career that has seen him travel across both Islands in New Zealand along with two Australian campaigns.

The Bachelor Duke gelding was a last-start winner for regular rider David Walker at Otaki and jumped straight to the front of the field from an outside barrier of 14.

The race appeared in safe keeping a long way from the finish with Scapolo never surrendering the lead and kicking clear of the field at the 300m mark. Despite the late efforts of The Solitaire (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Brave Centaur (NZ) (O’Reilly), Scapolo won by 1.2 lengths in a good time of 1.34.62 on a Good 3 track.

“He had done everything right heading into the race, he hadn’t had any hiccups so we were confident,” stated Kevin Myers.

“That will be it for a while for him, he will probably go back to Melbourne or Brisbane. He will have a few weeks out and we will see how he comes back.

“He was a nice walker as a yearling and that caught my eye, and he is still a bit immature so there is still room for improvement.”

The consistent Scapolo has now compiled a record of six wins and seven minor placings from 14 starts, earning his connections Anne, Khalif, Rick, Sandy & Teneka Hill $291,420 in prizemoney. The gelding has been placed at black-type level on four occasions prior to his breakthrough success yesterday.

Kevin Myers purchased Scapolo at the 2011 Karaka Select Yearling Sale for $40,000 from the horse’s breeders The Oaks Stud. The gelding is out the dual winner Kadesa, a daughter of the champion sire and champion broodmare sire Zabeel. Scapolo is the third winner from as many starters for his dam.