Almanzor continues rise with first Group 1 winner in Derby
Cambridge Stud’s ambitious decision to invest in the highly credentialed Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) paid further dividends yesterday, as the stallion notched another milestone with his first Group 1 winner in yesterday’s VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
The Chris Waller-trained Manzoice (3 c Almanzor – Choice by Mastercraftsman), unfancied at $21, came home best to deny $2.90 favourite and Kiwi-bred Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Redwood) to win the Classic by a half-length.
The emergency runner and $101 outsider Aberfeldie Boy (So You Think) finished third, a length and a quarter further adrift, followed by Mr Maestro (Savabeel), who tracked a wide passage throughout from his outside barrier.
Manzoice, who only made his debut in July when second in a maiden at Wyong, claimed Derby victory on just his sixth career start, with yesterday’s success his second win, having scored a maiden victory at Rosehill in August.
The three-year-old colt was last seen finishing eighth, beaten four and a half lengths behind winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart, in the Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) last weekend.
“Terrific performance from the horse and it’s been the plan all the way through. Things haven’t gone his way with wide draws and wet tracks, but we’ve stuck solid with the plan that we set out to do,” said Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth.
“Beautiful ride from Micky Dee [Michael Dee]. It was looking like he was going to be a bit unlucky on the turn, but he kept persevering, trying to get out and he knuckled down really well in the last 100 metres.”
Waller had previously won the VRC Derby in 2014 with Preferment (Zabeel), and Duckworth felt the same key gear change made then also paid dividends with Manzoice.
“He’s a horse who I think will improve more with racing. He’s still a bit doughy mentally and doesn’t really know what he’s all there for, which is why we’ve got the winkers on,” he said.
“It was the exact same gear that Preferment wore when he won the Derby for Chris a few years ago. Maybe it is the magic winkers that got the job done today.
“Terrific for the Flannerys who own the horse and who stepped into ownership in the last couple of years. They’ve been loyal to us and been investing a good sum of money.
“Obviously, there’s a Derby in different states, but this is the first one, and it’s Derby Day – the race day is named after the race. It’s the feature, it’s the grand final and to pull it off is quite remarkable really.”
In what’s been a defining spring for Dee, the rider claiming further big-race success with Waller having teamed up with Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Durston (Sea The Moon), who was cruelly ruled out of the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) earlier this week having failed his mandatory scans.
“It’s unbelievable. I really have to thank Chris Waller and his team. Once again, he’s presented this horse here in tip-top shape,” Dee said.
“If you said to me before this spring that I’d have two major Group 1s coming up, I’d probably laugh. It is pretty surreal, and hopefully, it can continue.”
Settling in midfield after jumping from barrier seven, Manzoice and Dee travelled smoothly as Foujita San (Maurice) set the pace up front. Cornering for home, Manzoice was forced wide to make his run and needed the whole length of the straight to pick up his rivals and grind down Sharp ‘N’ Smart inside the final 50 metres.
“Walking around the yard, I thought he’s certainly a Derby horse. He’s just so calm, got such a big stride on him, and it all panned out. He was very strong,” Dee said.
“I was very happy early and then the tempo came out of the race and it just got a bit tricky from the mile onwards when we were getting pushed around by horses inside and out.
“We were just starting to edge toward the outside, and he really let down strong when we got into the clear.
“He’s a big, strong horse, and he was able to buffet his way out. I was always confident he was going to be strong the last furlong.”
It is the second year in succession that the Victoria Derby has gone to a horse sired by a first-crop stallion, with Manzoice following Maurice’s (Screen Hero) Hitotsu as the winner of the early-season Classic.
Manzoice also becomes the sixth individual stakes winner (second in the southern hemisphere) for Almanzor, who is also the sire of last season’s Karaka Million 2YO (RL, 1200m) Dynastic.
The stallion, who stands this season for a fee of NZ$50,000 (plus GST), has also produced last weekend’s Moonee Valley Vase (Gr 2, 2040m) runner-up Virtuous Circle.
Manzoice was bred in Australia by Stephanie Hole, who also bred the colt’s dam, Group 3 winner Choice (Mastercraftsman).
The second named foal from the daughter of Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer), Manzoice is a half-brother to winner Regal Ruby (Night Of Thunder) and derives from the family of Group winners Tycoon Humma (Capitalist) and Humma Humma (Denman).
He was a $340,000 buy for Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Choice has a two-year-old filly by Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor), who will be offered by KB Bloodstock as Lot 57 at next month’s NZB Ready To Run Sale, and a yearling filly by Too Darn Hot (Dubawi).
She returned to Almanzor last year and is yet to foal this breeding season.