Listed Win for Karaka Graduate Anaheim

Karaka graduate Anaheim (Fastnet Rock) may have narrowly missed out on a run in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington, but he eased any disappointment for connections with a stylish win in Thursday’s A$150,000 Listed TCL QUHD TV Stakes (1800m) at the same venue.

With Ben Melham in the saddle, Anaheim was too strong and too good for his 12 opponents and scored by a comfortable length.

Rather than dwelling on what might have been in the Victoria Derby, trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young preferred to look ahead to the other three-year-old features that are still to come.

“There's still four more Derbies,” Young said. “I think he's better on top of the ground and Sydney in the autumn can be quite wet, so I think he's a horse that will be better suited in South Australia and then on to the Queensland Derby.

“We always thought he was still another six months away. All the jockey comments were that he wasn't quite there but with each run he'd flourish.

“He'd come home and eat up so we' thought we'd give him one more run until he'd told us otherwise. It's paid off today and we've got a nice win out of him.”

Bred in New South Wales, Anaheim is out of the Zabeel mare Asmahan, a daughter of the New Zealand Oaks winner She’s Country (NZ) (Kenfair).

Anaheim was offered by Wellfield Lodge at the 2015 Premier Sale, where Busuttin purchased him for $160,000. He is raced by K J O'Brien, G W Fielding, Mrs R L Hartridge, M Kneebone, M R Powell, O C Saxton, N J Bearman, L J Church, S E Cole, D Donnelly, T G Heptinstall, D A Kneebone, A J McLeod, D R Platt, D C Hartridge and Mrs L M McLeod.

Anaheim has had six starts for two wins and four placings, earning A$113,490 in stakes.