Sincero Shoots into NZB WFA Championship Contention

Multiple Group 1 winner Sincero has taken second place in New Zealand Bloodstock’s Spring Weight-for-Age Championship at Caulfield with an authoritative win in Saturday’s A$220,000 Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m).

Sincero (Umatilla x Yours As Always) was a well-backed favourite for the second leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Spring WFA Championship, and his victory his taken him to second place with 10 Championship points, six points behind current leader Second Effort (Mossman) who won the first leg, the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes.  

Sincero races to victory in the Group 2 NZB Memsie Stakes

A five-year-old son of Umatilla, Sincero boasts a formidable fresh up record and he proved a class above his rivals in Saturday’s Group 2. With jockey Michael Rodd aboard, Sincero settled fifth on the rail before showing a good turn of foot to power away in the concluding stages to win by two lengths.

The win saw Sincero’s trainer Steve Farley declare the horse “the most underrated horse in Australia”. And with the Cox Plate the main aim for
the spring, his odds for the Moonee Valley feature have been reduced to $16.

Running second in the Memsie Stakes was Happy Trails (Good Journey)
who won the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville fresh up on 11 August. He had the gun run in transit on Saturday, racing just off the pace, and hit the front in the straight before being claimed by Sincero.

The Paul Beshara trained five-year-old earned 8 Championship points for his second placing, taking him to third-equal with Zamorar (Scandal Keeper) who ran third in the first race of the four-race Series. Happy Trails holds nominations for the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup.

Second Effort took 10 points and the Championship lead with his win in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes and he extended that lead when running third in the Memsie Stakes, taking his total points to 16 for trainer Clinton Mcdonald.

The third leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Spring Weight-for-Age Championship, the A$400,000 Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), will be held in three weeks on 22 September.

This is the current leader board for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Spring WFA Championship at Caulfield: 

The four races in New Zealand Bloodstock’s Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship offer A$1.24 million in stakes and the ultimate winner of the Championship will receive trophies to the value of $25,000. For more information about the Championship, click here.