‘Old School’ Cup campaign for Manzor Blue
Wellington Cup winner Manzor Blue (NZ) (Almanzor) will fly a lone New Zealand flag among Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) nominations, with connections plotting an old-school path towards the Melbourne spring features.
The Lisa Latta-trained six-year-old, raced by Go Racing, is the only New Zealand-trained horse nominated for the Caulfield showpiece.
Go Racing founder and director Albert Bosma believes the lack of Kiwi-trained representation reflects the changing complexion of Australia’s major staying races.
“Things have changed over the last 20 years,” Bosma told Racing.com.
“You still get good New Zealand stayers, but they tend to probably head over to Australia earlier and be sold and raced there, as evidenced by there being 24 nominees with the ‘NZ’ suffix but just one NZ-trained.”
Manzor Blue has established herself among New Zealand’s leading stayers, winning the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) before finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m).
Bosma believes the daughter of Almanzor and the Zabeel mare Turquoise Coast (NZ) has the attributes to make her presence felt in Melbourne.
“She stays and she’s got a very, very good turn of foot,” he said.
“We’re not romantics in that we realise there’s a bit of a gulf between winning a Wellington Cup and running in a Caulfield Cup or a Melbourne Cup, but we believe she has the right qualities.
“If you look at her win in the Wellington Cup, she was last for most of the race, then ran a very good last 600m to win.
“We think she has the capabilities to perform in a Caulfield Cup and a Melbourne Cup.”
Manzor Blue will remain in New Zealand for the bulk of her preparation rather than travelling to Melbourne early in the spring.
“Over the last 10 years, New Zealand horses have tended to head over to Australia early in the season, and that hasn’t worked, in our opinion,” Bosma said.
“A large reason for that is they’re coming out of a cold New Zealand winter, they’re not as forward as the Australian horses and they struggle and lose confidence and lose rating points.
“So we’re going back to an old-school preparation where Manzor Blue will be prepared in New Zealand the whole way.”
The Caulfield Cup is the preferred starting point for Manzor Blue’s Australian campaign, with the A$500,000 Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) the alternative.
“The Caulfield Cup is the top pick, but if not, it will be the Geelong Cup and then a Melbourne Cup,” Bosma said.
“She will only have two starts in Australia.” - racing.com
Mr Miller makes his mark at Warwick Farm
Talented four-year-old Mr Miller (NZ) (Almanzor) lived up to his lofty reputation with an effortless victory over 1400m at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, prompting connections to dream of more ambitious spring targets.
The son of Almanzor was sent out the $1.28 favourite for the BenchMark 72 contest and punters never had a moment of concern as the Chris Waller-trained gelding scored by two and a half lengths in the hands of James McDonald.
The same race was won two years ago by Yorkshire (Snitzel), who subsequently charged through the grades and has now won eight races and A$1.7 million in prizemoney.
Mr Miller will be hoping to follow a similar trajectory, having already compiled an impressive record since joining Waller. He has won two of his four starts for the champion trainer and finished runner-up in the other two.
Wednesday's victory also atoned for a luckless defeat at the back end of his previous campaign and continued the rapid progression of a horse who has made a big impression since crossing the Tasman.
"He is obviously a classy individual," assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said. "He has taken a bit of time to mentally work it all out, and I still think there is further improvement in that department.
"He is a highly progressive horse and has a very bright future.
"In the actual race I thought he behaved beautifully, but it's all about the trimmings around the edges. He knocked over a strapper last Friday and he can be a bit of a lad at times.
"We will work it out, and as we get a bit deeper into the prep it will take a bit of fizz out of him, and he will make it to a decent level."
That level could potentially include the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 3, with connections harbouring hopes that Mr Miller could work his way into the feature with a light weight.
"We were hoping he could be a lightweight hope in the Epsom," Duckworth said. "It is obviously a long way to go from a Wednesday to an Epsom, but you have to dream."
McDonald was similarly taken with the performance and believes Mr Miller has made significant strides both physically and mentally since arriving in Australia.
"He is a lovely progressive horse, with a beautiful form line, and he is just lightly raced," McDonald said.
"He has improved physically. You can see what a lovely looking horse he is, with good muscle and a good turn of foot.
"He has matured in the mind a lot more in comparison to six months ago. That's the beauty of that stable, they give them time to flourish, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is a lightweight Epsom chance."
By Almanzor out of the winning Pins mare Miss Miller (NZ), Mr Miller was bred by Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax's Blandford Lodge.
He was offered through Blandford Lodge's draft at the Karaka Book 1 Yearling Sale, where he failed to meet his $80,000 reserve.
Mr Miller subsequently entered the Matamata stable of Pam Gerard and demonstrated considerable ability without presenting on raceday in New Zealand.
A multiple trial winner, he caught the eye with an effortless 1100m heat success at Taupo late last year, after which he was purchased privately and transferred to Waller's powerful Sydney operation.
The gelding now races in the colours of a syndicate headed by prominent owner Ozzie Kheir, with Wednesday's dominant display suggesting their patience could be rewarded further. - NZ Racing Desk
Chariot charges to Sandown triumph
Progressive four-year-old Gold Chariot (NZ) (Circus Maximus) continued his rise through the grades with an impressive victory over 1600m at Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday.
Prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, the son of Circus Maximus produced a sustained finishing effort under Blake Shinn to overcome a race shape that was firmly against him and score in Benchmark 66 company.
Gold Chariot was expected to settle much closer to the speed, but Shinn elected to come back after being caught wide early. That left the lightly-raced gelding well off the leaders when the tempo slackened mid-race, before he rapidly made up the deficit from the 600m.
“It was a good win in the end. It was not where we wanted to be,” Kent Jnr said.
“Blake looked up and saw five wide inside of him and he came back. Of course, as they always do, they backed it off and there were 13-second sectionals mid-race.
“I thought we’d be in trouble with the way the track has played. He was 12 lengths off them, but in a matter of strides he picked them up.
“It was a most impressive win. He’s a beautiful horse and I’m rapt for all the owners. He’s a nice horse for the future.”
The victory backed up Gold Chariot’s dominant maiden success on the Pakenham synthetic and Kent Jnr believes the gelding could prove even better on firmer footing.
“I actually think he’s better on top of the ground. He’s got such a good action,” he said.
“A lot of horses make a long run and their run ends when they get to the second horse, but for him to keep going away is a sign of a good horse.”
Shinn was similarly impressed with the lightly-raced galloper.
“He was strong through the line. He’s got that typical Kiwi action that just keeps building and he’s a raw talent,” Shinn said.
“It’s not easy to do, going from a maiden to a Benchmark 66 in town, but he did it nicely and he’s got plenty of scope.
“We bided our time and then let him build from the 600m. He hit the front at the 200m and stargazed a bit, but it was a great win and the team’s got a nice horse.”
Gold Chariot is by emerging Windsor Park Stud stallion Circus Maximus out of the O’Reilly mare O’Lovely (NZ), who stems from the famed Eight Carat family.
Price and Kent Jnr went to $160,000 to secure Gold Chariot from Windsor Park Stud’s draft at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.
“Mick and I plucked him out of the Windsor Park Stud draft at Karaka,” Kent Jnr said.
“We like the stallion. He’s going very well, Circus Maximus. He sired the New Zealand Derby winner this year and he’s just a beautiful, big, sound horse.”
While Gold Chariot was not mature enough to pursue a Derby campaign at three, Kent Jnr believes he will ultimately stretch beyond a mile.
“I think he’s clearly bred to get 2000m, but there’s no rush yet. He’s got speed and he’s quite exciting,” he said.
Marsh stablemates in zone for Foxbridge
Resuming runners Media World (Written Tycoon) and Tardelli (I Am Invincible) are primed for bold first-up displays in Saturday’s Gr.3 Foxbridge Plate (1400m) ahead of sterner spring tests.
The Stephen Marsh-trained pair have trialled encouragingly ahead of the Waikato Stud-sponsored feature at Te Rapa with Matthew Cartwright and Kyle Wilson-Taylor respectively booked to partner the duo.
Safely through the weekend, they will both head to the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on September 5 in which they will be joined by glamour mare Well Written.
“She came through her trial at Taupo brilliantly and we’ll take her up to Ellerslie on Thursday week for a light gallop. I can’t fault her at all,” Marsh said.
Like her unbeaten stablemate, Media World runs in the colours of powerhouse Australian-based operation Yulong.
“They’ve obviously got half of Well Written (Written Tycoon) and Media World and we’ve also got Hidden Achievement (I Am Invincible), an I Am Invincible colt who will trial on Saturday before the first at Te Rapa, and a Super Seth two-year-old colt for them,” Marsh said.
Hidden Achievement is out of the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) winner Luna Rossa (NZ) and was successful once from nine starts for Chris Waller and finished runner-up in last year’s Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1600m).
Written Tycoon’s son Media World was a A$1.4 million yearling and won four races including the Gr.3 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) and Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) for Peter Snowden before relocating to Cambridge.
“He’s a pretty high-class horse and his two trials for us have been great, so I am expecting him to race very well,” Marsh said.
“He’s been an absolute pleasure to have in the stable, he’s a good style of horse with a lovely nature.
“His work has been good, he’s bright and happy and the plan is for him and Tardelli to go on to the Proisir Plate. That will be a ripping field as you would expect, it’s great to have so many good horses around.”
Marsh will decide after the Proisir whether Media World will also contest the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m).
I Am Invincible colt Tardelli hasn’t raced since the summer and finished third behind Alabama Miss and Media World in a recent open heat at Te Rapa.
“He trialled very well and has come back so well for this preparation,” Marsh said.
“I loved the way he attacked the line and Kyle was very impressed with his trial, he said he’s flying.
“He’s so much better than his record suggests, we tried to get him out over a little bit further last time but 1400m is probably his pet distance.”
Of the stable’s other Te Rapa contenders, Marsh liked the chances of Shambo Jack (NZ) (Shamexpress) in the Banquo 3YO (1200m) with Cartwright in the saddle.
The Shamexpress gelding placed in one of his three juvenile appearances and indicated his readiness to resume with a trial win on the course earlier this month. - Paul Vettise
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Emily Murphy wraps up all the action from the star studded trials at Taupo on Sunday.
Elite Jockey Programme - Alyssa Parris
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