Waisake (NZ) Roars Back Into Top Form

With a defence of his Wellington Cup (3200m) crown looming large on the horizon, quality stayer Waisake (NZ) (Zed) made a timely and super-impressive return to top form in Saturday’s $80,000 Group Three Mode Technology Trentham Stakes (2100m).

Waisake cost just $1,100 at the 2015 National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale, and trainer Allan Sharrock paid $28,000 to buy him from the Festival Sale the following year. The accomplished stayer has now had 29 starts for eight wins, four placings and $297,020 in stakes.

The seven-year-old gelding had been unplaced in all of his first four starts this season, but Sharrock had been steadily building his fitness towards the Group Three Wellington Cup on January 29. Blinkers were added on Saturday for the first time in his campaign, and Waisake switched on.

Ridden by Craig Grylls, Waisake came with an irresistible late charge to reel in the front-runners and race past them for an emphatic half-length win.

“He was quite lazy throughout the race and at the start I really had to drive him along,” Grylls said. “I ended up in not a bad spot, but then I got shuffled back to last and he was off the bit.

“You’ve just got to keep at him, and he keeps going. The best part of the race was definitely the last bit.”

Sharrock was delighted with Saturday’s spectacular turnaround.

“That was a tidy Trentham Stakes field, so that was special,” he said. “I said to Gryllsy that I would be happy if he could run in the top five, so I’m ecstatic now. The aim all year has been the Wellington Cup.

“Where we go after that is still to be seen. I have Our Hail Mary (NZ) (Ocean Park) and Sinarahma (NZ) (Darci Brahma) for the Auckland Cup (3200m), so we might just split paths. He could go to the Sydney Cup (3200m).”