Return To Conquer (AUS)
Return To Conquer (AUS)
2 c Snitzel – Vaujany by Lonhro
O: Te Akau 2024 Stallion Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM)
B: Mr M Howard
T: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson
S: 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Blue Gum Farm P: D C Ellis CNZM BANZ, $1,300,000
W: Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m), November 23, Pukekohe
Te Akau unearthed yet another potential star on Saturday, when blue-blooded colt Return To Conquer (2 c ex Vaujany by Lonhro) bolted-in on debut in the Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Pukekohe.
Off the back of three impressive trial victories, the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) started a $1.15 favourite under Wiremu Pinn from barrier one in the seven-runner field. He jumped well to lead, quickening at the top of the straight, kicking away under a hold at the 200 metre-mark to defeat Hollie Wynyard’s Sierra Leone (Sun City) by 2.5 lengths, with the Ben and Ryan Foote-trained Vega For Luck (Lucky Vega) a further 1.3 lengths away in third.
“He’s an absolute machine. I’ve ridden some pretty good horses in my time, and he’s right up there with the best of them. He gave me an unbelievable feel. To be honest, he hasn’t even really tried today. He’s just a freak of a horse.” Pinn said post-race. “I knew I was on the best horse in the race today, so I just wanted to take bad luck out of the equation and lead. They could try and catch me in the straight if they were good enough, but they couldn’t. It was his debut today, so he’s still got plenty to learn, but he’s a super horse.”
Return To Conquer is set to face greater targets in the near future, with connections weighing up options for the late summer and autumn, which could include the Sistema Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Ellerslie in March or a potential Australian campaign.
“He can have a little break now and then we’ll work out a plan after that,” Walker said. “We’ll look at all options. The main thing will be to give him ten days out now and see how he does. There’s some Matamata trials on January 14, which is where we’ll probably have him resume. Then we can think about whether we go to Australia or whether we stay here and concentrate on something like the Sistema.”
The colt was a $1.3 million purchase for Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis consigned by Blue Gum Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. “We thought he [Return To Conquer] was the best Snitzel colt in the sale when we bought him. We could not fault him in any way. There was some very spirited bidding, but we were able to secure him,” Ellis said.
Bred in Victoria, Return To Conquer is the first foal to race out of unraced Lonhro (Octagonal) mare Vaujany, who herself is a sister to dual stakes winner Ghisoni (Lohnro). From a family littered with black type, the colt’s granddam is three-time stakes winner and Group 1 placegetter Portillo (Red Ransom), making him a relative of last season’s Creswick Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner Renosu (Exceed and Excel) and Group 3 scorer Larkspur Run (Shamardal).