Serpent and Natuzzi Star at Trentham

Karaka celebrated a stakes double at Trentham on Saturday with the exciting Serpent taking his first stakes win and Southern visitor Natuzzi upstaging a handy group of horses in the sprint feature.

Serpent is the first stakes winner  for his sire Chinese Dragon

The Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman trained Serpent (Chinese Dragon x Twizzle) completed the first leg of the Karaka stakes double with the smart three-year-old beating the older and more seasoned horses in the $50,000 Listed Lincoln Lodge New Zealand St Leger (2500m).

Jockey Vinnie Colgan got an undisputed lead on Serpent in transit before increasing the tempo on the home corner and the three-year-old put in a brave effort, having almost been headed before lifting in the final 200 metres and extending to a smart 2.5 length win.

The victory was Serpent’s third straight after winning over 2100 metres at his last start and over a mile at counties in late February. With Saturday’s win his third from six starts for his owner Scott Richardson Bloodstock, he looks a smart horse in the making.

Serpent was bred and sold by Rex Fell’s Goodwood Stud and was purchased by Scott Richardson Bloodstock at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Select Sale for $25,000. He has now won $46,075 in stakes and is the first stakes winner for his sire Chinese Dragon, the Group 2 winning son of Stravinsky, who stands at Goodwood Stud.

Serpent capped off a big day for his trainers who also saw their stable star (It’s a) Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral) win the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in Sydney later in the day.

Natuzzi blitzed a field of handy sprinters in the Lightning Stakes

The South Island visitor Natuzzi (Coats Choice x Monsanto) completed the Karaka double with an eye-catching victory in the $50,000 Listed Sakhee's Secret Melbourne Racing Club Lightning Handicap (1200m).

The Paul Richards trained four-year-old blitzed a field of handy sprinters under jockey Chris Johnson, coming from near last and cruising away in the straight to win by 1.5 lengths for his owners J & Mrs S Duell.

The gelding had been racing in good form in the South Island before traveling north, running second in the Group 3 White Robe Lodge Handicap at his last start and third in the Timaru Stakes two starts ago.  

The stakes win was the second of Natuzzi’s career as he won the Listed Southland Guineas last season. He was bred and sold bySue & Stewart McGiffert of Three Valleys and was purchased by Ross Beckett at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2010 South Island Sale of 2YOs & Mixed Bloodstock for $9,000.