Pure joy for O’Sullivans
Irish-bred horse sent to Matamata after losing form in Hong Kong is a group one winner
A family finish to the Windsor Park Plate at Hastings on Saturday saw the once retired Pure Champion deny the favourite I Do another leg of the Triple Crown series.
group three winner in his native Ireland and in Hong Kong, the winner is co-trained by part-owner Lance O’Sullivan, who races the entire with wife Bridgette and his parents Dave and Marie, while I Do is part-owned by his brother-in-law Mark Chittick.
“It’s a fantastic thrill for all the staff at Wexford Stables, Andrew [ Scott, O’Sullivan’s training partner] and the family,” O’Sullivan said.
“He was retired when we got him and Andrew has pretty much done everything with him, so all credit to him.”
Pure Champion won the group three Solonaway Stakes at The Curragh in his eighth and final appearance in Ireland before he was sent to Hong Kong where he was successful in the group three January Cup at Sha Tin and the group three Centenary Vase. He was also runnerup in the group one Hong Kong Gold Cup.
His form subsequently tapered off and the 8-year-old found his way to Matamata. “A jockey up in Hong Kong said to my brother, Paul [who trains in Hong Kong], that he had heard he had a brother training in New Zealand and suggested Pure Champion might have a future down here and that's pretty much how we came by him,” O’Sullivan said.
He’s a very happy animal and hopefully he’ll get a job at stud somewhere in time. Lance O’Sullivan, co-trainer
A strong third in the Makfi Challenge Stakes behind I Do, Pure Champion enjoyed a good run behind the pace on Saturday and he let down strongly to account for I Do, who covered ground from a wide gate. Soriano came home strongly to cut Sacred Star out of third.
“It was a wonderful ride by Craig Grylls and we wanted him to hold his ground coming into the first corner with the speed coming from the outside and that’s exactly what happened,” O’Sullivan said.
“He’s a very happy animal and hopefully he’ll get a job at stud somewhere in time.”
But not before he returns to Hastings on October 4 for the Livamol Spring Classic.
Earlier on the card, the covers came off O’Marilyn when she made an early play for 3-year-old honours to go with a decorated juvenile campaign.
The outstanding daughter of O’Reilly drew first blood in the NZ Bloodstock Filly of the Year series on Saturday with an impressive first-up performance to claim the Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes.
Unraced since her Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes triumph in the autumn, O’Marilyn emphasised her class and acceleration in the closing 250m to get herself out of trouble.
“It was a bit tricky at times and it got a bit tight up the straight and I knew all I needed was a needle eye gap as she’s got such a great turn of foot,” rider Sam Spratt said.
O’Marilyn was at first denied a run before she was switched to the fence and she didn’t need any persuasion to rail home strongly for a length victory that cut her NZB 1000 Guineas odds in half to $4.
“That’s the best draw [three] she’s had and she missed away,” trainer Stephen McKee said. “It was a little bit eerie at the 300 until a gap opened up.
“Obviously, the Guineas at Christchurch is her main aim, but how we get there I’m not that sure yet – probably the Sarten Memorial next.”
Jason Bridgman’s Flaming also gave an excellent account of herself with a bold finish from the back of the field for second while Shees Flawless, in her first appearance for Roger James, was a bold third.
The effort of Cherry Vain to finish fourth from an outside gate was another meritorious performance but, in contrast, last season’s Matamata Breeders’ Stakes winner Lady Royale showed very little on her return.
She jumped straight to the front under Johnathon Parkes, but found nothing in the run home and couldn’t beat a runner home.