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.