Humidor (NZ) Dives Through for Memsie Win

Saturday’s A$1 million Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) was won by a New Zealand-bred as Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo) captured the Caulfield feature with an incredible late surge.

The favourite and defending champion Vega Magic (Lope de Vega) had taken the lead in the straight in what looked like a winning move, but a line of horses charged at him in the last 100 metres. The strongest of all was Humidor, who dived through the inside with Damian Lane in the saddle for the third Group 1 win of his career.

Bred and pat-owned in New Zealand, the six-year-old has now won eight of his 28 starts and more than A$3.4 million in prize-money. He had previously won the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), and gave the mighty mare Winx (Street Cry) a scare with a close second in last year’s Cox Plate (2040m).

“He’s a great horse, he’s been a beauty for a long time,” proud trainer Darren Weir said. “He got the right run. I knew he’d be strong late. It’s a big thrill, that.”

Humidor is owned by Forest Lodge Racing, Jomara Bloodstock Ltd, Steeplechasers Flat Syndicate, M Krauser, Dr P Goel, Mrs P Adams, B Shannon, T Ginnane, D O'Connor, B Sokolski, Walker Racing & Bloodstock, Royjohn Racing and H Bastone.

Godolphin’s Kementari (Lonhro) was second, with the exciting stayer Kings Will Dream (Casamento) again producing big late strides to finish third.

The Memsie Stakes win lifts Humidor to 11 points in the NZB Caulfield Spring WFA Championship Series, moving him into first place on the table. The Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes winner Showtime (Snitzel), who was unplaced in the Memsie, now shares second spot with Kings Will Dream on 10.

The third leg of the NZB Caulfield Spring WFA Championship Series is the A$750,000 Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) on September 30, then the Series concludes with the A$1 million Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on October 13.