Saint Emilion (NZ) Scores Fourth Stakes Win

Saint Emilion (NZ) (Mastercraftsman), who could have been bought for $80,000 at the 2013 Select Sale at Karaka, took his prizemoney earnings to $490,095 with his fourth black-type win in Tuesday’s $70,000 Group 3 OMF Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie.

The grey gelding, who also won this weight-for-age feature in 2016, went straight to the front of the seven-horse field and led for most of the journey.

He was briefly headed in the straight by fellow Karaka graduate Hello It’s Me (NZ) (Darci Brahma), but responded to the urgings of jockey Jonathan Riddell and roared back to win by three-quarters of a length.

The winner’s stablemate Lizzie L’Amour (NZ) (Zabeel) ran on late to take second by a nose from Hello It’s Me.

“It was a very brave effort – he looked beaten at the 100 metres, but he kicked back strongly and was going away again at the post,” said Andrew Forsman, who trains in partnership with Murray Baker.

Saint Emilion’s two OMF Stakes victories sit alongside his other black-type wins in the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie in March and the Group 3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) in April.

He has now had a total of 41 starts for 15 wins, three seconds and a third. He has shown a particular fondness for Ellerslie, where he has now had 12 starts for six wins including three at stakes level.

“He certainly perked up today and it could be that he was back on a track that he just loves,” Forsman said.