Lion’s Roar (NZ) Heads Karaka Quinella in Randwick Guineas

New Zealand-breds and Karaka graduates have made a spectacular start to the showpiece three-year-old races of the Sydney autumn carnival, and that dominance continued on Saturday with a superb quinella in the A$1m Group One Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas (1600m).

Two weeks on from a triumphant Australian debut by Kiwi star Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes (1400m), Karaka graduates Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer) and Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) rose above Saturday’s star-studded Group One Guineas field with exceptional performances.

Owners Champion Thoroughbreds paid $65,000 to purchase Lion’s Roar from the draft of Wellfield Lodge in Book 2 of Karaka 2019.

Saturday’s Group One triumph was a new pinnacle in his seven-start career, which previously featured a Group One placing in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in October. Lion’s Roar has now earned A$839,870 in stakes – more than 13 times his purchase price.

Runner-up Mo’unga was a $325,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2019. He has had six starts for three wins and two placings, amassing A$349,290 in stakes so far in his short career.

Both Lion’s Roar and Mo’unga came from the back of Saturday’s Guineas field with monumental finishing bursts.

Lion’s Roar was ridden quietly by Brenton Avdulla and still had only three horses behind him at the top of the home straight, but he unleashed a huge finish down the centre of the track to rapidly reel in the leaders. He swept past nine rivals within the space of less than 200 metres, charging to a commanding lead.

Mo’unga flashed home very late, but Lion’s Roar was too far in front and held out his fellow Karaka graduate by a length and a quarter.
“Halfway up the straight, I was thinking that if he’s ready, he could get the job done,” Avdulla said. “He sprinted like a good horse.”
Lion’s Roar is trained by John O’Shea, whose parents make up part of the ownership group.

“We were struggling to sell shares in him, so I told my old man about this horse who’d been going well as a two-year-old,” O’Shea said. “I got them to take 5% or 10%, and now they’re sitting at home and have just had a Group One winner!

“I can’t explain the way I feel. It’s fantastic. That was just an unbelievable effort. Brenton was as cool as a cucumber. The horse was just bolting during the run, then produced that big action down the outside.

“He’s been a work in progress, with this race and the Rosehill Guineas (2000m on March 20) in mind. I think we’re on track. The Rosehill Guineas has always been our main target race, so to pick up this race along the way is very good. He’s a serious horse with a great ownership group.”

Tommy Berry, who rode Mo’unga into his fast-finishing second, is also counting down to next month’s Rosehill Guineas.

“It was a massive run,” he said. “The 2000 metres (of the Rosehill Guineas) will be right up his alley.”

Lion’s Roar continued a massive week for Mapperley Stud stallion Contributer, who sired the first stakes winner of his young stud career when Llanacord (NZ) won last Wednesday’s Group Two Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings.

Vendor	Wellfield Lodge
Purchaser	Champion Thoroughbreds (New South Wales)
Breeding	Contributer – Minnaleo
Sale	Lot 807, Karaka 2019 Book 2, $65,000
Bred by	P G Gillespie