Changing of the guard at Wood's Cambridge barn
Chris Wood may have lost two of his stable flagbearers in That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) and Canheroc (NZ) (El Roca), but he is hoping two recent stable additions in Sassy Lass (NZ) (Staphanos) and Son Of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) can be worthy replacements.
The Cambridge horseman has enjoyed a fruitful season, primarily through the deeds of his Group Two winner That’s Gold, who won four of his nine starts, including the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1600m), and $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m).
He was bought back by his breeder, Yulong Investments, following his Avondale Guineas heroics and had one final run for Wood when sixth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day.
He has left New Zealand shores to continue his racing career in Hong Kong where Wood believes he will thrive under new trainer Mark Newnham’s care, with next year’s Hong Kong Derby (2000m) the primary objective.
“I went to Hong Kong to see my family a little while ago and went to the Hong Kong Sevens with my youngest fella,” Wood said. “I made myself known to Mark Newnham, who is getting That’s Gold.
“I want to see the horse do well up there, he is a very good horse, and I am sure he can win the Derby up there. I am very confident of that and I told him that.
“When he runs in the Derby I will definitely go up next year.”
Wood has also lost the services of his stakes-winning stayer Canheroc, who will now ply his trade in the South Island after transferring to the care of Riccarton trainer’s Michael and Matthew Pitman.
While he has lost two of his stable’s flagbearers, Wood is excited about the addition of Group Three performer Sassy Lass and Group Three-winning stayer Son Of Sun, which he said is due, in part, to his success with That’s Gold.
“When you win with a horse like That’s Gold it puts your profile back out there again,” he said. “You don’t forget to train but you don’t get the horses and numbers you want sometimes. Now my name is back out there again it is nice to be receiving a few horses.”
Son Of Sun has been a solid performer for former trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley, winning seven of his 30 starts, including the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m), and he was runner-up in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
He was unplaced in his subsequent three starts and Wood said a change in stable environment could work wonders for the rising seven-year-old gelding.
“The owners of Son Of Sun are just looking for a change,” Wood said. “He might be just a bit stale and looking for a change of routine and environment. The owners have elected to send him here so that is great.
“He comes back in on June 1. I will just get him up and get him going and we will sort out what level we think he is at and we will go from there. He looks like a nice horse on paper. He is going to be a nice addition to the stable.”
Wood is also pleased to welcome Sassy Lass to the barn, who won four of her 32 starts for former trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, and was runner-up in the 2024 edition of the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m).
Wood said Sassy Lass is in the same boat as Son Of Sun and may thrive with a change of scenery.
“Sassy Lass races a bit the same, her form has tapered off, and her owners thought they might want to have a change and try somewhere different,” he said.
