Stable Stars Quinella Mercedes Prelude

Saturday's $150,000 Mercedes Super Bonus Prelude for 2YO Colts and Geldings was an exciting race for trainer Mark Walker and owners the Tauranga Racing Syndicate with their runners King's Chapel and Maroofity finishing first and second respectively.

King's Chapel (King of Kings x Lower Chapel) looks to be a very talented colt in the making, scoring a thoroughly professional 1  length win after a brief home straight battle with gallant third place-getter Romar Dale (Armidale x Rose of Belldale). Stablemate Maroofity (Maroof x Howkudai) flew home late to take second by a nose from Romar Dale, completing the quinella for successful young trainer Mark Walker.

David Ellis, who manages the Tauranga Racing Syndicate, purchased King's Chapel at the Premier Session of New Zealand Bloodstock's National Yearling Sale at the beginning of the year for $35,000 from the draft of Norelands Stud. The colt has now paid this back more than four times over, having already earned just over $160,000 courtesy of winning a $50,000 Mercedes Super Bonus Jackpot at his first start and the lion's share of the $150,000 prize money from the Mercedes Super Bonus Prelude.

The handsome chestnut colt has made it two wins from two starts and will now be aimed at one of the richest races in New Zealand, the $500,000 Mercedes Classique at Te Rapa on February 1. Stablemate Maroofity will head towards the Wakefield Stakes at Trentham on January 18 before a run in the Mercedes Classique. Both youngsters look like great chances of breaking the Fillies dominance of the Mercedes Classique in recent years and Mark Walker has sounded an ominous warning to race day rivals declaring that King's Chapel is "only going to get better."

After such success King's Chapel is a great ambassador for the Mercedes Super Bonus Series where enrolled 2YOs have the chance of winning their share of over $1 million throughout the racing season.

The next race in the Mercedes Super Bonus Series is the $150,000 Mercedes Super Bonus Prelude for Fillies at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

For more information on the Super Bonus Series please contact Guy Mulcaster at New Zealand Bloodstock on (09) 298 0055 or email guy@nzb.co.nz.