King Pedro overcomes the odds to take Grafton Cup
A Group 1 feature will be seriously considered for King Pedro (NZ) (Eminent) after another impressive performance.
King Pedro has staked his claims for the spring staying races with an outstanding performance to overcome a muddling pace and win the Listed Grafton Cup.
Trainer Tom Charlton, who was watching from his office in Sydney, admitted to being anxious with the way the track was playing for the backmarker pre-race, and those nerves took hold when Tahlia Fenlon on leader Kaluakoi (Zoustar) slowed the pace noticeably during the run.
"I've been watching the races all day and I was a bit concerned because nothing was making ground. The track is a good three, they missed all the rain, and it looked a tricky set-up for him," Charlton said.
"Early on in the race, I was very concerned. They didn't have the splits up, but it looked like they were going thirteen-and-a-half (seconds to the furlong). It wasn't pretty and it probably didn't test the horse's best assets, but credit to the horse, he picked himself up and overcame it."
Charlton credited top jockey Kerrin McEvoy for his calm under pressure, the hoop never panicking despite the race not going to plan.
Instead, McEvoy had faith in the last-start Stayers Cup winner, bringing King Pedro ($2.30 fav) with a surging run down the centre of the track to sweep home over the top of Etna Rosso (Decorated Knight) ($18) and Kaluakoi ($11), who had been fighting out the finish.
It was the three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey's first success in the Grafton Cup (2350m) and he was thrilled to get the job done for connections.
"When I got him into the clear, he had a lot of ground to make up, but full credit to the horse. He powered and he was really hitting the line hard," McEvoy told Sky Racing.
"It's nice to pull it off. He's a horse that is hopefully going to go to nicer staying races in the spring."
Charlton echoed that sentiment, confirming King Pedro would be given a short break before returning to the stable to prepare for a carnival campaign.
The Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in October will be among the targets considered and off Thursday's classy win, Charlton says they can look ahead with confidence.
"For sure. He'll have a little freshen up on the way home and we'll have a think about what races we aim for, but a race like the Metropolitan wouldn't be a silly idea," he said.
King Pedro was bred by Ray Johnson, best known as the breeder of multiple Group One winner Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars).
King Pedro is by Brighthill Farm stallion Eminent out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Jiving (NZ).
Originally named Don Pedro, the gelding began his career in the Opaki stable of Peter Jeffcoat, who bought him for $3,900 on Gavelhouse.com in October of 2022. From six starts for Jeffcoat, King Pedro recorded a win, two seconds, a third and a fourth.
In his final New Zealand start before being sold to OTI Racing, King Pedro finished sixth behind Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) in last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie. - NZ Racing Desk
Tulsa King to resume at New Plymouth
Tulsa King (NZ) (Staphanos), the little horse with a cult following, is back racing this weekend, but it won’t be in the race trainer Aaron Bidlake had originally intended.
Bidlake had earmarked the Listed Agfirst Engineering Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on Saturday as the rising four-year-old’s first assignment of his new campaign, but the Taranaki feature attracted a bevy of nominations and Tulsa King found himself sixth on the ballot.
While his weekend stakes ambitions look to be scuppered, all is not lost, with the Hasting’s gelding still set to trek to the opposite side of the North Island to take his place in the Sandfords Rural Carriers (1200m), where he will be ridden Elen Nicholas from barrier one.
“I am a little bit gutted that we haven’t made the Opunake Cup field, the last few years there have only been 11 in it and this year they get a full field,” Bidlake said. “It is a bit disheartening because it has been the plan the whole way through, but he is going well so we are happy to be in the race we are in.”
Tulsa King proved to be the underdog story of this year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), having been purchased off gavelhouse.com for $1,500, and he went on to finished runner-up in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) and Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) prior to the Champion’s Day Classic.
While he finished 10th in the Derby, Bidlake was proud of his performance.
“I was really happy (with his Derby performance),” Bidlake said. “He actually got quite a bad squeeze just on the point of the turn as he was starting to roll into it. He wasn’t going to run in the first three, but I think he would have finished a lot closer than he did. I was happy enough, he tried hard, and that is all you can ask.”
Bidlake said Tulsa King has thrived over his spell, and he is looking forward to tackling some home assignments over the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival before heading south to Riccarton.
“He is only a little horse but he put on 24 kilos in the time he had out,” Bidlake said. “I brought him back in a week or so earlier than I had planned because he was starting to do a bit too well and was getting a bit dangerous in the paddock to feed, so we got him in and I couldn’t be any happier with him.
“We will just get through Saturday and probably save him for the Carnival here. There are races on all three days for him, but the main goal will be the Spring Classic (Listed, 2000m, at Riccarton on October 24). It is the logical go, 2000m is going to be his pet distance I think, so we will aim for that and hopefully we get there.”
Tulsa King will be joined on the float trip to New Plymouth by stable newcomer Sicarius, who will have his second start for Bidlake in the KTEC Engineering (1100m).
“He is a horse we got second or third-hand off gavelhouse,” Bidlake said. “He is a Savabeel and he is a lovely horse, he has just had a couple of niggly issues that we are working through. We are still learning about him and he will improve out of Saturday.” - Joshua Smith
Auguste Rodin colt sells for NZ$930,000 in Japan
A colt from the first northern hemisphere crop of champion racehorse Auguste Rodin has been purchased by Mr Kaneko for ¥88 million, (NZ$930,000) surpassing the price he paid for the colt’s grandsire, Deep Impact.
Before becoming one of the world's greatest stallions, Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) was purchased as a foal by Mr Kaneko for ¥70 million. He went on to become a world-class racehorse and a breed-shaping sire, leaving a legacy of 209 stakes winners, including 59 individual Group 1 winners.
This striking colt by August Rodin, who looks like his sire, is out of Lake Illawarra, a winning mare by Australia (Galileo) who scored over seven furlongs and is from the Storm Cat mare Dietrich.
With glowing reports already emerging for his foals in the Northern Hemisphere and now in Japan, Auguste Rodin continues to generate significant international interest.
A six-time Group 1 winner at two, three and four, Auguste Rodin captured some of the world's most prestigious races, including The Derby, Irish Derby, Breeders' Cup Turf, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Futurity Trophy and Irish Champion Stakes. Among the finest-bred horses ever to stand in New Zealand, he combines an outstanding race record with an exceptional pedigree.
The son of Deep Impact, is out of the triple Group 1-winning Rhododendron, who is a full sister to champion mare Magical. His second dam is the triple Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven, while his third dam is the King's Stand Stakes winner at Royal Ascot over 5 furlongs, Cassandra Go - making his one of the most accomplished pedigrees in the Stud Book.
Auguste Rodin is eagerly anticipated ahead of his return next month from Coolmore Ireland, where he has been covering another outstanding book of mares. We are also excited to welcome his first Southern Hemisphere foals this spring.
Following a first-season book of 160 mares in New Zealand last year, Auguste Rodin has again attracted a high-quality book of mares in 2026.
2026 Service Fee: $30,000 + GST includes a LFG. - Windsor Park Stud
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Darryl Anderson reviews the New Zealand-sourced winners in Hong Kong on Wednesday 15th July.
