Ugo Foscolo (NZ) Breaks Te Rapa Track Record

Highly rated juvenile Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto) broke a track record when he won the $50,000 Listed Hamilton Vets Equine Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

An impressive debut winner at Rotorua the previous month, the Stephen Marsh-trained colt stepped up to stakes level and kept his unbeaten record intact.

Ugo Foscolo faced a stern challenge down the straight from Memories Only (NZ) (Patapan), who was also the winner of his only previous start. But the favourite gradually got the upper hand and scored by a short neck. The time was 1:03.54, a new 1100-metre track record at Te Rapa.

“They ran hard up front and that other horse is pretty smart – he kicked very hard and certainly wasn't stopping,” Marsh told NZ Racing Desk. “The margin wasn't big, but we can take plenty out of the race and times tell everything.”

Bought at Karaka for $50,000, the Inglewood Stud-bred Ugo Foscolo became the second stakes winner for his sire Zacinto. The Inglewood Stud stallion had his first stakes winner just minutes earlier when Zigwig (NZ) won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.

Ugo Foscolo is expected to target Group One age-group features next season for an ownership group that includes prominent owners Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, Tony Muollo and Kevin Hickman.

"He'll go to the paddock now and I'll have a meeting with the owners later on, but I think we'll be looking at the 2000 Guineas," Marsh said. "I rate him extremely highly – he's a serious horse and what he's done so far proves that. He's capable of much bigger and better things."