Back to back for Kawi in Mafki

KAWI was the superb winner of the Makfi Challenge Stakes yesterday.

The Allan Sharrock-trained Savabeel gelding walloped his Hastings rivals in the hands of jockey Leith Innes.

The favourite bounced from his wide gate and managed to get in a spot one off the rail for a few strides before Innes had to send him forward around runners.

He cruised up to Longchamp who established a break swooping for home.

Then to the gentle urgings of Innes he asserted his considerable authority to go back-to-back in the Group I feature.

Last year’s win was easy, this year easier as the 6-year-old gelding has furnished and matured into a magnificent horse.

‘‘I was a bit worried when we got flushed wide,’’ Innes said. ‘‘But it was a good effort – hats off to Allan [Sharrock].’’

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Sharrock who had to overcome a couple of setbacks to get his horse to the barrier for the season’s first Group I.

‘‘It was a great effort, he dominated that field,’’ his proud trainer said. ‘‘He was wide but he was out of trouble.

‘‘It was a challenge to get him here but we did it.’’

A knock to his cannon bone ruled Kawi out of the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa earlier this month.

After a jumpout at New Plymouth on Monday bets poured in on the horse causing TAB bookies sleepless nights..

‘‘I’ll have to look at Melbourne but he’ll definitely be back here for the second day [Windsor Park Plate] at a mile,’’ Sharrock added.

Kawi has now won four Group I races for his connections and over $800,000 in stakes.

He was bred by Okato’s Steak and Christine Goodin out of the Volksraad mare Magic Time.

They race him in partnership with a group of mainly Taranaki people and the team, in the Dafodil Day spirit, donated $2000 to the Cancer Society.

The excitement around the winner’s stall was intense while next door humble Pukeatua breeders Frank and Faye Drummond were stunned by the magnitude of the Group I result on their labour of love.

The couple own second placed El Pescado and stand his sire at their Cheval Stud on the outskirts of Te Awamutu.

El Hermano is also the sire of third placed Farm Boy, both horses putting in huge finishing runs for their placings.

The fairytale result comes on the back of an original modest service fee of $500 for the sire rising to $4,000 these days on the back his offsprings’ success.

El Pescado is trained by Stu Manning and ridden by Cameron Lammas while Hayden Tinsley handled Farm Boy for Tim and Margaret Carter who also train sixth placed Battle Time.

Both sons of El Hermano will be back for the next two legs of the triple crown.

‘‘It’s just unbelievable,’’ Frank Drummond said as he cheered home a El Hermano quinella in the race after the Makfi.

Meeska Mooska, winning his fourth race in succession thereby giving his co-trainer Graham Thomas his 100th career win, held on to beat Underthe-moonlight.

’’It’s an incredible feeling,’’ Drummond said. ‘‘Meeska Mooska might give the sire three runners in the Livamol [Group I Livamol Classic] on the third day.’’

THERE’S more in store for impressive Hastings 3-year-old winner Ugo Foscolo.

The Stephen Marsh-trained Zacinto gelding went into yesterday’s 3-yearold sprint fresh-up but was fit enough to out-run his rivals.

Jockey Michael Coleman made use of the inside gate to jump, lead with head on chest and dominate.

‘‘I wanted to ride him positive from the one gate,’’ Coleman said. ‘‘He came off the bridle quite nicely and found a nice kick when I asked.

‘‘He’s still got plenty of improvement and it all looks good from here on in.’’

Big targets await the $1.90 favourite with the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) on October 1 and Group I 2000 Guineas (1600m) on November 5 high on the list.

‘‘He’s going to have to keep improving,’’ said Bruce Perry racing manager for part-owner Lib Petagna.