Almanzor filly proves too strong in Desert Stakes
Cambridge Stud’s shuttle stallion Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) was handed his 12th individual stakes winner, and fourth in New Zealand, when Sudbina produced a strong finishing effort to land yesterday’s Desert Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Trentham.
The three-year-old filly was racing for the just the third time at Group level, having run a commendable sixth in the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) and fourth in the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), following a stylish last-start victory in a 1400-metre event at Hastings on January 6.
Drawn out wide in gate 12 for yesterday’s Group 3 contest under Kozzi Asano, Sudbina was eased back to last place by her rider off what seemed a strong early gallop.
Moving into the final 600 metres of the race, Asano asked his mount for maximum effort and Sudbina produced a decisive turn of foot to propel herself to front of the 14-runner field, eventually staying on strongly to deny the persistent Grail Seeker (Iffraaj), who was sent off the $3.50 favourite, by three-quarters of a length.
There was a further three and three-quarter lengths back to the third-placed The Entertainer (Staphanos) as the front pair pulled well clear.
For Sudbina’s trainers, Roger James and Robert Wellwood, it put behind them a frustrating day of near-misses on the opening day of the carnival last weekend, having had Zabmanzor (Almanzor) run second in the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m), a head behind Quintessa (Shamus Award), while stablemate Apostrophe (Tavistock) was also beaten a head by Churchillian (Churchill) in the Anniversary Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m).
“After having to settle for a couple of close seconds in Group 1 and Group 3 races last week, it’s really nice to get a good win today,” Wellwood said.
“We were disappointed when the draws came out for this race earlier in the week, but the way the track has worked out and the way this race ended up being run, it probably worked in our favour a little bit.
“What she did there was very nice. We’ve been scratching our heads a little bit in terms of what distance might suit her best.
“We were just hoping she’d get the mile in this race, but off today’s performance, perhaps she might go even further. We’ll talk to her connections and work out a plan from here.”
Now with three wins and a placing from seven starts for her owner-breeders Frantic Bloodstock and Haunui Bloodstock, Sudbina is likely to next head for the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (Gr 2, 2000m) at Te Rapa on February 10, with the race being the eighth leg of this season’s edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.
Sudbina has now joined the table with her first six points of the series following yesterday’s win, moving her into equal-sixth place alongside Quintessa. Molly Bloom (Ace High) heads the table with 20 points, with Impendabelle (Impending) second on 15 and Still Bangon (Satono Aladdin) in third with ten.
“She had an electric turn of foot,” Asano said. “I thought I might have gone too early. I just tried to keep her in her rhythm for most of the race today, and then off she went. Once she got a clear run, she was away.
“The way she accelerated at the end of the race today, I’d say that more distance would be no problem for her.”
Being out of the unraced mare Destined, in what was yet another broodmare stakes success on the day for Danehill (Danzig), Sudbina (3 f ex Destined by Danehill) is a half-sister to Fix (Iffraaj), who was crowned New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year in the 2012-13 season and won eight races including the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m), Royal Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) and Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (Gr 2, 2000m), while also placing in the New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
Almanzor, who will stand at Haras d’Etreham for the 2024 northern hemisphere breeding season, stood the 2023 season at Cambridge Stud for a fee of NZ$50,000 (plus GST).
His other New Zealand-based stakes winners are Zabmanzor, Cheval D’Or, and Dynastic. He has had 327 starters.