Atishu could be best yet for major New Zealand syndicator Go Racing
Talented Chris Waller-trained three-year-old daughter of Savabeel crosses the Tasman to join Rosehill team
For more than 20 years the Go Racing colours have been associated with the Chris Waller stable and their representation has never been stronger in terms of quality with highly–talented filly Atishu (Savabeel) the latest of their horses crossing the Tasman to join his Rosehill team.
The three-year-old filly has won four of her nine starts so far at home and greater things beckon for her on the racetrack this spring with the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) a potential target.
“She’s pretty talented. Her first preparation she was a little bit weak and we ended up turning her out and when she came back she was phenomenal.
“She’s got a turn of foot which you need to compete at that level which is very exciting.
“She’s at a rating of 82 in New Zealand so depending on how she rates coming into Australia that opens up options in benchmark races to kick her off and then her form and ability will determine a path, but to get her into a race like the Epsom on a low weight would be ideal,” said Go Racing’s Racing Manager Albert Bosma.
In recent years Go Racing has had top–class horses such as NZ Group 1 winner Ruud Awakening (Bernardini) race in Australia and Bosma believes Atishu could be their best performer yet.
“I personally think she’s got the ability of the highest level. We have had three Group 1 winners in the last ten years and she has more ability than those horses,” Bosma said.
Right from yearling age Bosma has held a high opinion of the filly he purchased out of the Waikato Stud draft at the Karaka National Yearling Sale for NZ$260,000.
“We thought she was a cracking filly. We thought she would make $500,000, but she was in the sale late on the day and we managed to buy her for $260,000. We were over the moon because we didn’t think we could afford to purchase her.”
Being out of Posy (No Excuse Needed), Atishu’s clever name was inspired by the children’s nursery rhyme;
‘Ring-a-ring-a-roses, A pocket full of posies
A tissue, a tissue
We all fall down’
“That’s where it comes from. We put it out to the owners for thoughts and suggestions and had a vote on it and that was the leading contender.” Bosma explained.
Atishu is settling in well to her new environment in Sydney and is set to trial on July 21 and make her Australian racing debut sometime in early to mid-August.
This Saturday at Randwick Go Racing has Mubariz (Dansili) and Wairere Falls (Savabeel), who is a half–brother to Sacred Falls (O’Reilly), engaged.
Mubariz, a horse they purchased from the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale for 40,000gns, is aiming for a hat–trick of wins in race seven in a benchmark 88 handicap over 1800m and Wairere Falls is entered in a benchmark 72 handicap over 1600m and looks due to break through.
“They are both nice progressive horses. Bosma said. “Wairere Falls is knocking on the door for another win and Mubariz has won three of his last four starts and is flying at the moment and in fantastic form.”
As a business, Go Racing’s own form has been strong of late too with the Covid-19 pandemic positively impacting on demand for horses.
“When Covid first hit everyone froze and people wondered what’s going to happen and nobody opened their wallets, but now they have and at the end of last year we couldn’t buy enough to syndicate.
“Covid has had a very positive impact on our business and on racing because people can’t travel as much and they have money to spend.”
Those economic trends coupled with having horses like Atishu come along is vindicating Bosma’s decision to leave a lucrative corporate job and follow his passion and go into racehorse syndication back in 2003.
“When we made the decision my wife was pregnant with our second child and she was standing in the kitchen at the time and I said to her darling I’m going to throw my job in and syndicate horses.
“I made sure I stood behind her because I thought she might throw a plate at me. But she said no, that’s great, you love it so do it,” he laughed.