Perfect Scenario (NZ) Defends White Robe Lodge Crown

Karaka 2019 graduate Perfect Scenario (NZ) (Iffraaj) has gone back-to-back in the $120,000 Group Three White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (1600m) at Wingatui.

Perfect Scenario’s successful defence of his White Robe Lodge crown on Saturday afternoon was the ninth win of his 34-start career and lifted his prize-money earnings to $352,770. He was bought by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $165,000 from Woburn Farm’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2019.

Perfect Scenario is at the peak of his powers as a six-year-old this season, winning three of his five starts so far in his current preparation. He carried a big weight to victory in an open handicap at Gore on January 13, which set him up perfectly for Saturday’s feature assignment under its far more suitable weight-for-age conditions.

The gelding was ridden by Niranjan Parmar on Saturday and settled in fourth before surging forward to stake his claim at the home turn.

Dazzling Miss (NZ) (Proisir) and Ears Back (NZ) (Jakkalberry) fought back hard closer to the inside, later joined by the strong-finishing Times Ticking (NZ) (Tavistock), but Perfect Scenario pulled out all the stops and edged ahead to win by half a length.

“Hugely satisfying to see a horse like him go back-to-back,” said Sam Bergerson, who trains in partnership with Mark Walker. “He is just an old marvel to have around the stable. He is a real favourite of everyone and just plods around doing his own business. He loves stable life.

“He has grown a leg since coming down here and it was a good ride by Parmar. I think the key was getting him out wide. He looked like he was floundering at the top of the straight, but as he came wider and wider, he found another leg.

“He is such a genuine horse and puts his best foot forward every time he steps out.”

Bergerson and Walker will now weigh up potential late-summer and autumn targets for Perfect Scenario, which include the Group One Trackside Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki on February 24 and the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton on April 20. Perfect Scenario contested both races after last year’s White Robe Lodge win, finishing fourth in the WFA Classic and sixth on a Heavy10 track in the Canterbury Gold Cup.

“It seems the logical step to keep him down here, but there is the Group One at Otaki that he contested last year,” Bergerson said. “He is in fantastic form. We’ll take him home and then go from there.”