Aotea Lad – 2 g Savabeel – Corsage by Volksraad
Fresh off the back of a last-to-first trial win, Aotea Lad (Savabeel) was clearly well-regarded by his trainer Jamie Richards, being pitched into Group 2 company for his race debut.
Rider Opie Bosson was content to sit fifth, one off the fence from the jump to the crossing, before finding room four out at the entrance to the straight
The gelding duly forged to the front at the 300 metre mark and then went on to win well, with Bosson appearing to have more in reserve than the half-length winning margin indicated.
The exciting juvenile will now head to the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) before a tilt at the lucrative Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 26.
Aotea Lad (2 g Savabeel – Corsage by Volksraad) is the second foal to race out of the Group 1-placed mare Corsage, herself a three-quarter sister to New Zealand Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Torlesse (Volksraad).
Corsage, the joint second-placed filly in the 2008-09 New Zealand two-year-old classifications, is also a half-sister to Group 2 placegetter Miss Thorn (Thorn Park) out of the once raced Entrepreneur (Sadler’s Wells) mare Spray.
Spray in turn is out of Group 1-winning racemare Seamist, a blue hen in the breeding barn having produced seven winners and four individual stakes performers.
That quartet includes the multiple Listed placegetter Mystique (Montjeu), who has gone on to produce Southland Guineas (Listed, 1600m) winner Replique (Darci Brahma).
Related Links – Race Replay: https://loveracing.nz/News/26340/Final400sWellingtonRCTrenthamSaturday8December2018.aspx