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A remarkable period of dominance by NZ Bloodstock graduates in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas continued at Riccarton on Saturday when Ugo Foscolo led home an all-Karaka trifecta.
It was the sixth year in a row that the winner of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas has been a graduate of the NZB Karaka sales.
Ridden by Michael Coleman for trainer Stephen Marsh, Ugo Foscolo (Zacinto x Bequests by Stravinsky) led all the way in the G1 classic, holding on strongly to score by a length and a quarter from the fast-finishing Savile Row and Heroic Valour.Purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $50,000 at the 2015 Karaka Select Sale, Ugo Foscolo has now won five of his six starts and more than $345,000 in stakes.
He is the first G1 winner by Zacinto, an imported son of Dansili standing at Inglewood Stud in NZ.Ugo Foscolo’s dam Bequests was a three-time winner over 1200m in Australia and is a half-sister to Listed winner Green Roller.
Bequests is from Listed winner Given (Canny Lad) with the family including stakes performers Simplest (Choisir), Amazing One (Canny Lad) and Black Opal Stakes winner You’re Canny (Canny Lad).Bequests was purchased for $17,000 by Inglewood Stud at the 2012 Easter Broodmare Sale in Sydney but has been a luckless producer.
She slipped to Dane Shadow and a foal by Starcraft was born dead before producing Ugo Fsocolo. She has since missed to Zacinto and her filly by the sire born last year died after birth.Bequests is due to foal to Sacred Falls this year.
Runner-up Savile Row (Makfi) cost $120,000 at the 2015 Premier Sale while Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock) is already a G1 winner. He was bought for $400,000 at the Premier Sale.Ugo Foscolo’s win follows the 2000 Guineas victories in the previous five years by fellow Karaka graduates Xtravagant (Pentire), Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj), Atlante (Fastnet Rock), Sacred Falls (O’Reilly) and Rock ‘N’ Pop (Fastnet Rock).
• IFFRAAJ mare Lady Zafira recorded her first stakes victory in Saturday’s Listed Pegasus Handicap at Riccarton.Trained by John Bary, the six-year-old Lady Zafira (Iffraaj x Mary Robinson by Lord Ballina) is the 43rd stakes winner for her sire and takes her record to five wins and 12 placings from 23 starts.
Lady Zafira is one of six winners, and the first at stakes level, for her dam Mary Robinson, a sister to four stakes winners including G3 winner Exinite and Listed winner Vitrinite.This year in Europe Iffraaj has also sired G1 Priox Jacques le Maroius winner Ribchster, G3 winner Muffri’ha, classic placed filly Nathra, talented sprinter Mehronissa and G1-placed Listed winner Latharnach.
Lady Zafira was purchased by Waterford Racing for only $7,500 as a yearling at Karaka.• ZABEEL's son Eighth Wonder sired his first stakes winner when the much-travelled Start Wondering won the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint at Te Rapa.
Start Wondering (Eighth Wonder x Roseanbar by Al Akbar) has now won eight of his 14 career starts in Australia and New Zealand.He is now with co-trainers Evan and JJ Rayner and was having his first start in New Zealand since returning from a stint in Australia with Chris Waller that was cut short after he suffered a bleeding attack.
• THE Grant Nicholson-trained Tavistock gelding Nymph Monte is set for next Saturday’s G3 New Zealand Cup after an easy win in the Listed Metropolitan Trophy at Riccarton.