Tucanchoo (NZ) Continues Hot Form in Winter Cup

After a well-deserved first stakes win in Saturday’s A$100,000 Listed ATC Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill, in-form stayer Tucanchoo (NZ) (Pentire) has now earned twice what he cost as a Karaka yearling.

The six-year-old gelding’s previous four starts had produced three wins and a close last-start second in the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2200m) at Eagle Farm. On Saturday he got his day in the sun.

Tucanchoo was sent to the lead early in the race by rider Christian Reith, but was overtaken in the back straight by Junoob (Haafhd) and Swift Lady (NZ) (O’Reilly). Reith didn’t panic, however, and was happy to wait until the home turn to make a move. In the straight he regained the lead and kicked away to beat Junoob by a length and a quarter. Foreign Prince (NZ) (High Chapparal) ran on to finish third.

“Christian just rode his own race,” said Tania Rouse, representative for trainers Hawkes Racing. “He got the horse to relax and that told in the end when he hit the line strongly.”

Tucanchoo was bred by Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd. He is out of the Cox’s Ridge mare Special Jade, who is the dam of 10 winners from 11 foals to race including stakes placegetters Mon Vert (French Deputy), Northern Rock (Northern Taste) and Jungle Boots (NZ) (Jungle Pocket).

Offered at the 2011 Premier Sale by Rich Hill Stud, Tucanchoo was bought for $140,000 by Hawkes Racing. With seven wins and four placings to his name from 20 starts, he has now earned more than A$267,000 (NZ$280,000) in stakes.

Third placegetter Foreign Prince is also a Karaka graduate, offered by Seaton Park at the 2012 Premier Sale and bought by David Payne for $100,000. A son of the Stravinsky mare Julinsky Princess (NZ), Foreign Prince is a half-brother to this season’s dual Group 1 winner Julinsky Prince (NZ) (Darci Brahma).