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.