Waldorf (NZ) Shines in Ryder Stakes

Karaka graduate Waldorf (NZ) (Highly Recommended) has shown his class at both ends of the New Zealand two-year-old season, capped by a determined win in Monday’s $50,000 Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Awapuni.

Bought for $30,000 from Berkley Stud’s draft at the 2016 Select Sale by trainer Andrew Campbell, Waldorf was a debut winner in early October and was stakes-placed in the Wellesley Stakes at Trentham later that month.

After placings in two of his next four starts, and after requiring vet treatment on abrasions suffered when unplaced in the Karaka Million, Waldorf shone brightly in the final stakes race of New Zealand’s 2016-17 season.

Ridden by Johnathan Parkes, the colt sat in second place before moving forward to challenge Nuclear Fusion (NZ) (Power) at the top of the straight. The pair set down to fight out the finish, with Waldorf gradually asserting his superiority to win by a length and a half.

Waldorf has now had seven starts for two wins and three placings, and he has already returned almost twice his purchase price for owners T G Heptinstall, J A Barnao, T M Pivac, D R Platt, A Campbell, C V Barnao, C D Allison, N Cruickshank and the Withonel Syndicate.

“He’s a very good horse,” Campbell said. “I don’t think he was handling the ground that well. I was a bit worried at the turn when the other one had a kick, but he’s very tough and he’s got a lot of ability.

“I think he’ll get a mile next season, so we’ll nominate him for some good races and it will be interesting to see how he goes. It’s early days, but we’ll put in a nomination for the Caulfield Guineas.”