Different track, different result
Grail Seeker (Iffraaj) threw the cat amongst the pigeons with a rousing performance in the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m), the first top-flight contest of the New Zealand season, proving that a different track provided a result different from either Ruakaka or Te Rapa, sites of the two races which supplied the two favourites for Saturday’s feature.
Favourite Crocetti (Zacinto) made his season debut five weeks back on a much softer and deteriorating Ruakaka track than the connections expected or desired yet he prevailed there, albeit narrowly and under pressure. Bonny Lass (Super Easy) was up to a slog on the heavy Te Rapa track when she returned two weeks ago to convincingly win the Foxbridge Plate (Gr 2, 1200m). Last February, Bonny Lass and Crocetti formed the quinella in the BCD Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m).
Presented with a firm surface at Hastings, one which required irrigating during the week and which provided a winning time of 1:21.46, the two favourites finished well adrift at the post.
Crocetti led from Bonny Lass at the 1000-metre mark and they were the first two inside the 600-metre mark as well. With a little more than 300-metre mark to run Crocetti tried to slip clear but was caught at the 150 metres then compounded to wind up seventh. Bonny Lass tried to match strides with him once they straightened, but she too was caught and looked beaten yet fought back over the final strides to land sixth. Both were about five lengths in arrears of the winner.
Obviously, hindsight is 20/20 but Grail Seeker probably started at false odds given her fine win at Trentham, beating the boys in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) last March. Then again, fresh up and against the older horses also explains the 30–1 odds.
From midfield at the 600-metre mark Grail Seeker went four deep when the field fanned at the top of the straight. Near the 200 metres she was less than a length off the lead then surged past to take over inside the 100 metres and was travelling so well Matt Cartwright was able to stand erect in the stirrups and wave his crop to the crowd before they reached the line.
The Tarzino was not Grail Seeker’s first run against older runners. In April she had an awkward run in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) but the run immediately prior to that, in the Wellington Guineas, was a beauty. She never saw daylight until the 250-metre mark then flew home between runners to score easily.
Her record now stands at ten starts for three wins including a much-prized Group 1. She has also been twice second, including the Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), and twice third, including the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m). The $230,000 winner’s share of the NZ$400,000 stake took her earnings to $413,465, a healthy return on the $130,000 she realised at Book 1 of the 2022 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale
Grail Seeker is the eighth winner from nine to race from her unraced dam Starwish (Redoute’s Choice). She is the second stakes winner, the first, Brisbane Listed winner Deep Image (Testa Rossa). Starwish is a sister or half-sister to six winners including Sydney Listed winner Brilliant Bisc (Elvstroem). Their dam was the talented Group 1 winner Stella Cadente (Centaine) whose five wins included the Australia Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley, a Group 2, a Group 3 and a second in the Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m).
There is considerable depth to Grail Seeker’s family in that her third dam, Temple Fire (Bletchingly), is a sister to Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Kenny’s Best Pal (Bletchingly). Temple Fire is also a three-quarter sister to Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Bint Marscay (Marscay) and half sister to dual Group 1 winner and nine-times Group 1 placed Filante (Star Way) They are all foals of New Zealand-bred Group 3 winner and dual Oaks placed Eau d’Etoile (Sir Tristram).
Grail Seeker is from the last southern hemisphere crop of Iffraaj (Zafonic), a fabulous asset for Haunui Farm where he shuttled for twelve consecutive seasons. Iffraaj has a century of stakes winners and Grail Seeker is his 13th of his progeny to achieve elite status. His Group 1-winning son Wootton Bassett sired Royal Patronage, winner on his Australian debut in Saturday’s Tramway Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
Another top family
There was another surprise, although not at 30-1, in the Sir Colin Meads Trophy (Listed, 1200m), due to the less-than-expected run by the hot favourite Move To Strike (I Am Invincible). Poetic Champion (Super Seth) led all the way and sent a message that he was a definite candidate for future honours within the three-year-old ranks.
He didn’t reach the lead until they reached the first corner at the 800 metres and hugged the fence to the home straight where he kicked clear. He really caught his opponents flat footed because at the 200 metres he was three lengths clear and continued, full of running, to score easily in a time of 1:10.37.
Poetic Champion, an easy to spot chestnut with a large white blaze, did much the same on debut last October at Hawera where he bolted away by more than six lengths. In the meantime he recorded several placings, the best of which was a distant second in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) but a much closer second in Matamata Slipper (Gr 3, 1200m) behind Savaglee (Savabeel), who stormed home for second in Saturday’s Listed event. In between those two performances he finished gamely for sixth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (RL, 1200m).
His two wins so far are likely to be just the start of his career. Passed after failing to make his $80,000 at Book 1 at the 2023 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, he already has $152,150 in the bank.
Poetic Champion is the fourth winner but first stakes winner from his dam, Regally Blonde (Royal Academy). This where the family kicks in as Regally Blonde is a half-sister to the brilliant Starspangeledbanner (Choisir), a four times Group 1 winner including the Golden Jubilee Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot.
After Starspangeldbanner led all the way to land the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) then the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m), he was sent to Aidan O’Brien’s stable where he added two of the UK’s premier sprints. Apparently, O’Brien was incredulous upon learning that Starspangedbanner had stretched to a mile as he felt that the horse was perhaps the fastest he’s ever had through his stable.
Regally Blonde’s half-sister is Gold Chant (El Moxie), the dam of Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Amicus (Fastnet Rock). Their granddam, National Song (Vain), is a half-sister to Circles of Gold (Marscay), the dam of five-times Group winner Elvstroem (Danehill), Royal Ascot Group 1 winner Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Hveger (Danehill), the dam of seven-times Group / Graded 1 winner Highland Reel (Galileo). Poetic Champion the third stakes winner for Waikato Stud’s Super Seth (Dundeel), a Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) victor beating Alligator Blood (All Too Hard). His oldest are three-year-olds.
On the western front
New Zealand-breds may have missed out on more Australian black-type on Saturday, however, on Friday, Lion’s Roar (Contributer) returned to winning form when taking out the Wyong Cup (Listed, 2100m), his sixth career win.
Lion’s Roar looked to have an enormous future after landing the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) as an autumn three-year-old but his next win, in the Summer Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) was two years and nine months in the making, on Boxing Day last year.
Friday’s Wyong Cup took just six more starts although he indicated that another win was close when finishing second in the Rowley Mile (Listed, 1600m) at Hawkesbury late last month. The now seven-year-old, who is a graduate of Book 2 of the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale fetching $65,000, has banked $2.3 million.
Metropolitan performances by New Zealand-breds on Saturday included Evaporate (Per Incanto) who has put together three wins on the trot, none more impressive than this latest win over the 1600-metre handicap at Moonee Valley. He sat outside the leader to the 300 metres but took over before they lined up for the short run home.
Given his head on straightening Evaporate bounded away and gave his chasers no chance.
At Randwick, Major Beel (Savabeel) returned to the scene of his 2023 Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) to put a long-awaited fifth career win, the Benchmark 94 (1400m), in the book. He has had eight starts in the meantime, mostly in top company. He led soon after the jump and tried to slip clear when they headed for home but the challenges came thick and fast yet he held on gamely.
At Morphettville Flamin’ Romans (Ghibellines), the brother to Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Smokin’ Romans, took his record to three wins in eight starts, this his first in town after earlier wins at Geelong and Bendigo.
In the slowly run Sportsbet Handicap (1950m) he stalked the pacemaker to the top of the straight but lost ground soon after before recovering to gamely wear down the leader near the post.