Stokes lands SA Derby with recent Kiwi addition

Recent Kiwi acquisition Wigmore (NZ) (Sweynesse) has made an instant impact for trainer Phillip Stokes and his OTI Racing connections when winning the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at his second Australian start.

The son of Sweynesse was previously prepared by Caley Myers in New Zealand, where he was a winner and multiple placed in his six starts and showed his staying credentials when chasing Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus) into fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).

Wigmore finished a solid seventh in the Gr.3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) at Morphettville last week after eight weeks between runs and relished getting over the extended trip on Saturday to reel in Strictly Business (Grunt) by a nose under a well-timed Teo Nugent ride.

Wigmore was identified by bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo, who has a long-standing association with Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing.

“Terry Henderson rang me up and said, ‘can you get rid of 25 per cent of this horse?’. “I rang a few of my mates and they came in on him and I said we’ll have him in the Derby,” Stokes said.

“He hadn’t raced for eight weeks going into the Chairman’s and he took good improvement from it. He did well in the week here, a big thanks to the team. It’s huge.”

Stokes said Wigmore arrived three weeks after his New Zealand Derby run and he was instantly of the opinion that he was an out and out stayer.

“We just brought him along slowly,” he said. “He’s very clean winded. Big thanks to OTI, they’re massive supporters. We’ve won this race twice and we’ve had a few Group One winners now.

“He didn’t have a jump-out going into the Chairman’s. I’ve had a bit of luck doing it with these type of horses, like Daqiansweet Junior (NZ) (Sweet Orange), who was also from New Zealand, and Amade.

“They can leave it on the track if you overtrain them. They’re just natural stayers and I enjoy training them.”

It was the ninth Group One win for the astute horseman who was delighted to return to his former home state.

“We’re getting up there (with Group One wins). They’re very important. It’s good for everyone and there’s a lot of good owners in him, which is great,” Stokes said.

“It’s too early to work out what we do next. There is the Queensland Derby (Gr.1, 2400m), but I’m not sure if I want to go that way. He’s done an amazing job after being up for so long. We may have a Melbourne Cup (Gr.1, 3200m) horse on our hands.”

By Novara Park Stud stallion Sweynesse, Wigmore is out of the More Than Ready mare Del Mondo, who won over 1950m and whose progeny have relished getting over ground, with her granddam the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Arborea.

Wigmore is a half-brother to Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Mondorani (NZ) (Burgundy), who landed the two-mile staying feature for Caley Myers’ father Kevin.

A $25,000 Karaka Yearling purchase by Myers senior from the draft of Ralph Thoroughbreds, Wigmore was bred by Karlene Murdoch and the Shirley M Trust.
- NZ Racing Desk

Golden run for Von Hauke at Bendigo

Six-year-old gelding Von Hauke (NZ) (Savabeel) has booked a trip to Queensland following a strong win in the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on Saturday.

The Cliff Brown-trained son of Savabeel was having his second tilt at the race, having finished a luckless fourth last year.

As the field turned for home, the Mornington conditioner admitted a sense of déjà vu, but there were no such problems this year as Harry Coffey plotted the right path to score a narrow but strong victory.

“I thought it might be history repeating itself at the top of the straight that’s for sure,” Brown said.

“He’s a lovely horse and he seems to be improving. Mentally he’s better. Physically they take time but mentally he’s a lot better.

“He still over-races a little bit but he’s far better than he was.”

Von Hauke is poised next for a working holiday in Queensland that could lead to a shot at the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) on June 1.

“That would be nice,” Brown said. “That sort of race or something a little bit less but he’s not far off them.”

Starting at $11, Von Hauke burst through late to overhaul the $4.60 chance Wonder Boy (Cosmic Force) right on the line with Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) ($12) turning in a superb finish from last to finish third.

“I found myself a little bit further back than I would have liked but he does have a great turn of foot,” jockey Harry Coffey said.

“I made a bit of a move between then 400 and 300 and he really tracked into it like the winner but all of a sudden they were coming back sharply and I had to divert back to the inside.

“He just sustained a really nice rhythm while diverting and held his gallop and then when I fully asked for the supreme effort late, he continued to find.

“He was the best horse in the race and he just needed things to be run the way he likes.”

Von Hauke was bred by Waikato Stud and is out of the O’Reilly mare Tiara (NZ), who is a granddaughter of the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Royal Tiara.

Offered by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Von Hauke was bought by Cliff Brown Racing for A$190,000. - NZ Racing Desk

Fortuna have another exciting youngster on their hands

Te Akau Racing and syndicator Fortuna have enjoyed a fruitful season with their Group One-winning juvenile Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution), and they now have their hands on another exciting youngster in Zafar (Snitzel).

There was plenty of hype surrounding the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained two-year-old ahead of his debut at Riccarton on Saturday, and the son of Snitzel duly delivered when taking out the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m).

Jumping a $1.80 favourite, Zafar secured the coveted one-one position early behind stablemate Enchantment (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) before coming off her back in the final 200m and he quickly responded to the urgings of veteran hoop jockey Opie Bosson to dash away to a one length victory over Cool As Bling (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), with a further short head back to Final Time (NZ) (Staphanos) in third.

Fortuna director John Galvin was trackside for the win and he was rapt his colt was able to deliver on debut for his syndicate members.

“It was pretty exciting, there was a lot of talk about this horse,” Galvin said. “He had to do a bit of work today to get up and I am really happy with the result.”

Offered through Kilgravin Lodge’s 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Yearling Sale draft, Zafar wasn’t initially identified as a potential prospect for Fortuna, but after he failed to reach his reserve in the Karaka sales ring, Walker convinced Galvin to make an offer, and a deal was subsequently brokered.

“He wasn’t on our list originally because we always buy to budget,” Galvin said. “Mark (Walker) hadn’t pointed him out to me because he thought he would make more than our budget, but as it turned out, he was passed in at $180,000.

“Mark was down here at Riccarton at the middle day of the (New Zealand Cup) carnival and he gave me a call and said he thought we should have a go at this horse and said he could offer $165,000 to see if he could get him, so I said ‘sure, good luck’, and five minutes later the deal was done.”

His handlers have been impressed with his development in the last six months, with Zafar winning one and placing in two of his trials in Auckland, giving them the confidence to test him at stakes level on debut.

Bosson was in the saddle in his last two trials and he was pleased the education he was given in his northern public outings paid dividends on Saturday.

“I am glad we decided to teach him something last time at the trials and get in amongst them,” Bosson said. “He showed today that he is a bit on and off, but he has got a lot of ability.

“He looks the ideal 2000 Guineas type horse, we have got a few of them at home at the moment, so it’s exciting times ahead.”

While an Australian campaign remains an outside possibility, Galvin said Zafar will likely be put aside for a spring three-year-old campaign geared towards the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) back at Riccarton in November.

“Probably this is going to be his last run for the season unless we go to Australia, but logistically that is difficult,” Galvin said. “We would love to come back here for the Guineas in November.

“We will probably give him a break now and prepare him for his three-year-old year.”

A race prior, stablemate Insatiable made it back-to-back wins in the Bush Inn Open Sprint (1200m), but he needed the entire length of the straight to do it.

“It wasn’t the greatest watch, but it is how he needs to be ridden,” assistant trainer Hunter Durrant said. “He needs that cover the whole way and just needs to be put on the line, and that is why we have Opie (Bosson) on, and he has got the job done.

“It is really good to see him so genuine, he could have chucked the towel in a few times there, which he has done in the past. He is just a happy horse and it is showing in his racing.” - Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Feature race quinella for James and Wellwood

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood stable were to the fore at Te Rapa on Saturday when progressive juveniles Excite (Wootton Bassett) and Incandescent (Per Incanto) produced a feature race quinella in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m).

Wootton Bassett colt Excite was backed into favouritism for the contest off the back of an excellent run for fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Sakes (1400m) at Trentham, and although he was still a maiden after three races in his opening campaign, he was expected to open his winning account on the weekend.

Rider George Rooke gave him the perfect run in the trail behind pacemakers Walkin In Memphis (Too Darn Hot) and Bourbon Time (Exceed And Excel) and it was obvious turning for home he had a lapful of horse if he could get a clear shot at the leaders.

Excite shouldered his way into the clear at the 250m and pounced on the leading pair before easing a length clear as he hit the line full of running from his stablemate Incandescent, who had found clear air wider out and stormed into the runner-up position narrowly ahead of Bourbon Time and Walkin In Memphis, who both battled gamely after being headed.

James hinted a possible Australian campaign could be in the offing for Excite, who looks to have plenty of untapped potential.

“I think he (Excite) is a pretty fair horse in the making as we rode him a little conservatively at his last start because he is still a horse in the making,” James said.

“We found out we could trust him and George rode him an absolute treat today and he duly delivered.

“The other horse (Incandescent) was good too as he made ground late to grab second, so we have a couple of smart horses looking towards the spring.

“We will see how they come through their runs but there is a nice race for Excite in a couple of weeks at Ellerslie (Listed Champagne Stakes, 1600m) and I think we could go there.

“If he could string two wins together, we might even look at something offshore as he has improved all season and is coping with his racing very well.

“I think he is a Guineas horse in the making.”

Rooke noted the horse had always been held in high regard but was only now beginning to learn his trade.

“He has just been a lot greener than first anticipated when he first started running,” he said.

“He is learning all the time and today he did everything right. He is going to improve, be better over a mile and better again next year.

“He relaxed perfectly today and is very exciting. I think he could be a Group One horse.”

Raced by his breeder Colin Litt and his wife Helen, who also had their multiple Group One winning mare Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) in the stable, Excite is out of the stakes winning Savabeel mare Elate (NZ) who is a half-sister to Gr.3 Bendigo Cup (2400m) winner High Emocean (NZ) (Ocean Park).

Stonybreck back to winning from at Riccarton

Handy galloper Stonybreck (Tavistock) bounced back to winning form at Riccarton on Saturday when he held out a host of challengers to capture the Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m) in a blanket finish. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared son of Tavistock hadn’t been seen on the top

NZ Racing NewsNZ Racing Desk

Financier scores satisfying win for Marsh

While Stephen Marsh has enjoyed plenty of success this season, highlighted by the deeds of his unbeaten Group One-winning filly Well Written (Written Tyccon), the Cambridge trainer scored one of his most satisfying results at Te Rapa on Saturday when Financier (NZ) (Tavistock) took out the PGG Wrightson Grain Mile

NZ Racing NewsJoshua Smith

House Of Lords delivers at Bendigo

Promising staying mare House Of Lords (NZ) (Almanzor) relished the quick backup when successful in the Corvette For Cancer Handicap (2200m) at the standalone Bendigo meeting on Saturday. The Peter Gelagotis-trained daughter of Almanzor finished sixth over 1800m at Flemington on ANZAC Day and a week later was a gallant

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Capo Dell Impero continues winning Riccarton run for Andertons

The father-and-son training partnership of Brian and Shane Anderton continued on their winning ways at Riccarton on Saturday when veteran stayer Capo Dell Impero (NZ) (Ghibellines) captured the Hornby Club Founders Cup (2600m). The Wingatui-based pair had enjoyed dual stakes success at the venue just seven days earlier thanks to

NZ Racing NewsKevin Robertson