Long and winding road
Perseverance coupled with patience were the two qualities which could be found when Manzoice (Almanzor) cleared out to land the Tattersalls Cup (Gr 3, 2400m), one of six stakes on the Eagle Farm card last Saturday.
In a long and winding road, which started in July of 2022, Manzoice’s sole run at two was very late in the season, a second at Wyong. In August he skipped maiden class and took out a Benchmark 72 race over 1300 metres at Rosehill. Third that day was subsequent Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Major Beel (Savabeel) who had defeated him at Wyong. Start three saw him run ninth in the Ming Dynasty Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) but stepping up to 1800 metres next he was a hard chasing second in a Benchmark 72 event.
His effort in the Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) looked ordinary on paper but he kept chasing for a better-than-it-looked eighth, then headed to Flemington where Manzoice wrapped up his spring three-year-old campaign with victory in the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m), taking the scalp of New Zealand Horse of the Year, Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Redwood) in the process. He finished strongly to nail Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the final strides.
Six starts for two wins including a classic Group 1 laid the foundation for a potentially great career, or so one would have thought, but the winner’s circle was denied to him until Saturday, some two years and eight months later.
Three runs in the autumn brought nothing and the same could be said of his spring four-year-old campaign, all races in top company. As an autumn four-year-old, four starts brought a second placing. Early promise had turned to nothing. Last spring began with two placings including third in the Wyong Cup (Listed, 2100m) but three runs in Melbourne were poor, to say the least.
Five Sydney runs beginning this past February were no better but a trip north to Brisbane has been something of a revelation and Manzoice has found a new lease of life. In the last two months he has achieved his third win and went into Saturday’s Cup with three solid placings including a last-start third in the Brisbane Cup (Gr 2, 3200m). It has been 25 starts since the Victoria Derby.
Saturday’s Cup drew six runners and Manzoice sat last or second last until near the last corner where he hugged the rail and got a lovely run through to position for a challenge. He had the pacemaker to beat approaching the 300m then took over quite easily. Full of running, he put them away by five lengths, the commentator acknowledging the length of time since his last win.
Manzoice is by far the best of five winners from five to race representing his dam Choice (Mastercraftsman), herself a Group 3 winner of Awapuni’s Eulogy Stakes (1600m). The win took his earnings to $1.84 million, a healthy return on the $340,000 that the Waller/Mulcaster team outlayed for him at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He and his dam remain the only stakes winners within the first three generations of the line and it is necessary to go back to the fourth dam to find another Group 1 winner, twice Ascot Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f) winner Gildoran (Rheingold), a half-brother to Follies Bergeres (Pas De Seul). He and Follies Bergeres were from the top English two-year-old filly of her year, Durtal (Lyphard) whose half-sister was the great Detroit (Riverman). It’s also the family of Zabeel (Sir Tristram).
Waikato winners
Across the Saturday metropolitan races in Australia, nine were sired in New Zealand and four of the nine were by stallions that are standing or have stood at Waikato Stud. At Rosehill Super Seth (Dundeel) added yet another city winner when Puntin took out a Benchmark 72 event over 1400 metres. Puntin is an up-and-comer who has recorded four wins in only six starts. In Saturday’s win he was quite brave having taken the lead before they left the back straight and was vulnerable the length of the home straight but held on well. Bjorn Baker, who trains the three-year-old, bought Puntin in conjunction with Jim Clarke from the Haunui Farm Book 1 draft of the 2023 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
Misterkipchoge (Ocean Park) made it a Rosehill double for Waikato Stud in the Benchmark 78 over 1800 metres, just his second win. The four-year-old had two starts in New Zealand at two and three before being transferred to Chris Waller’s stable.
A second winner by Ocean Park (Thorn Park) was Arcadia Park who added win number two in eight starts when scoring over 1600 metres at Pinjarra, while the Belmont track is undergoing repairs. Arcadia Park was bred and is raced by Bob Peters and the gelding is proving most consistent with two wins, two seconds, a third and a fourth in eight starts. His maiden win took place at Belmont last September.
Waikato Stud’s fourth winner was by Tivaci (High Chaparral) in Matahga, winner of the Listed Oaklands Plate (1400m). The stud bred and sold Matahga at the NZB 2024 Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1), fetching $80,000 and the youngster has now won twice in three starts.
Saturday’s win was no walk in the park as he was third last at the 600 metres and had plenty to do when they straightened. Between runners, he threaded his way to be second at the 150 metres but had to dig deep to get by the leader yet got his head in front short of the line. He knows where the winning post is and has a good future.
Matahga is the first foal from Mohegan Star (Reliable Man) who was unplaced but ranks as a half-sister to Little Avondale Stud’s newest stallion acquisition Little Brose (Per Incanto). The latter, a Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner, begins his stud career this September. Few of the Per Incanto (Street Cry) are entires so it is going to be most interesting to learn how Little Brose’s next career unfolds.
There is plenty of early maturity within the family. Matahga is a stakes winner at two. So was Little Brose, while his dam is a half-sister to Vous (Wild Rush), also a juvenile stakes winner. A granddaughter of Vous, Ruby Love (Scat Daddy), was the champion turf 2YO filly in Chile in 2017.
Murphy’s law has kicked in regarding Matahga’s sire Tivaci (High Chaparral) who was exported to China last year. In the meantime, the stallion has had a not-at-all-bad season. Tuxedo knocked off the Waikato Guineas (Gr 2, 2000m) and the Wellington Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), American Wolf landed the VRC St Leger (Listed, 2800m), while King Of Thunder was a good second in the recent Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m). These will not be Tivaci’s last winners and his strike race of winners to starters is currently 52 per cent, however, the son of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) lost favour with breeders and his fate was hardly in doubt.
Magic
It came to the attention of the writer recently that “per incanto” in Italian means: “as if by magic” and the Little Avondale stalwart has yet another promising sort, Rolling Magic, to keep the flag flying.
Last spring, the four-year-old gelding broke his maiden at Newcastle then proceeded to reel off two more wins at Hawkesbury for a nice treble then wrapped up the preparation with a hard chasing third at Rosehill before spelling. He has taken a few starts to get back to winning form but Saturday saw him extend his record to four wins in 11 starts when scoring over 1300 metres at Benchmark 72 level.
In a good fight, Rolling Magic had the run of the race in third (rails) to the straight but took an age to level up to the leader. From the 200 metres he ground away and was relentless in his chase to finally edge into the lead just short of the line.
Little Avondale Stud was represented again in Adelaide when Metrical (Time Test) saluted. The now five-year-old won twice in Victoria, breaking through at Bendigo a year ago but since settling in South Australia has been quite consistent, Saturday’s win his fourth including two of his last three starts and both at Morphettville.
Hot stuff
Returning to form was Flamin’ Romans (Ghibellines), the brother to Group 1 winner Smokin’ Romans. In a 17-start career, baby brother added win five, at Caulfield, in the Benchmark 78 Sportsbet Blackbook Handicap (2000m). In a bunched field he was four-deep nearing the last corner and had to find three or four lengths when they straightened but in a grinding finish levelled up at the 100 metres then came away by a length to win well.
Flamin’ Romans is one six winners in the month of June to keep Ghibellines (Shamardal) in the news. The White Robe Lodge stallion pumps out the winners, 108 from 204 runners in six crops including eight black type winners.
Good mood
Last week’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka held its own against 2024. As usual, the lots that stood out were the same lots that leading buyers all wanted.
On a cool, blustery day, the mood was good and the attendance was even better, especially from Australia. There is something about a physical vs digital sale, proving that people like to socialise and mingle. The sale is supposed to be a trading day for the auctioneers but it also serves as a meeting place for the industry.