Weregoingtogetcha Gets the Gold

The talented Weregoingtogetcha (Testa Rossa) delivered a rousing performance to win the Group 3 $100,000 Hotel Coachman Manawatu Gold Cup (2300m) at Awapuni on Saturday.

After three previous placings at stakes level, Weregoingtogetcha showed his quality to breakthrough for his first Group victory. With a third placing in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas as a three-year-old and a second placing in last year’s Group 1 Zabeel Classic, Weregoingtogetcha has raced at Group level in nearly half of his 23-race career.

A Karaka Premier Sale graduate, Weregoingtogetcha took advantage of the barrier 1 position with the rail in the true position for the first time in eight months at Awapuni. 

Rider Mark Du Plessis settled the five-year-old entire midfield on the rail until Du Plessis eased off the rail to be in the middle of the track approaching the home turn. Once in the clear at the 200m mark, Weregoingtogetcha’s brilliant turn of foot saw him take out the race  by two-lengths over King Kamada (NZ) (Shinko King) in second and Sampson (NZ) (Dubai Destination) a long neck away in third place.

“I said before the race that if he brought his Zabeel Classic form he would be hard to beat,” commented Du Plessis. “He should improve with that run and he’ll carry on to the City of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.”

Weregoingtogetcha is trained and part owned by David Hayes in partnership with former Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club president Steve Prenter.

Saturday was Weregoingtogetcha’s fifth win from 23 starts and has earned stakes just short of $200,000.

Hayes’ Portland Stud purchased Weregoingtogetcha at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale for $140,000 from Jamieson Park.

Bred by Patinack Farm, Weregoingtogetcha is out Sweetness ‘N Light (Entrepreneur) a winner of six races.  A dam of four foals, three are winners including six-race winner Sweet Talk Woman (More Than Ready).