Xtravagant’s Group One Performance Bodes Well For Guineas
15 February 2016
Superstar three-year-old Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire), romped home winning the Group 1 $200,000 NRM Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.
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Xtravagant (NZ) winning the Group 1 NRM Sprint. |
Xtravagant easily beat his older opposition in the sprint feature, the first time he had raced out of his age group. Xtravagant took advantage of bold riding tactics to win the weight-for-age event by eight lengths. The victory added to Xtravagant’s eight-and-a-half length success in the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November.
A downgrade of the track from a Good 3 to a Dead 4 after two events, Xtravagant’s connections decided to walk the track before the race. The team included Te Akau principal David Ellis, trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, who also consulted with former champion trainer Colin Jillings. They felt the inside track was the best way to go and agreed on a daring move to instruct jockey Matt Cameron to stick to the rail.
Xtravagant flew the gates to lead and Cameron let Allez Eagle (NZ) (Guillotine) and Trepidation (NZ) Falkirk) settle outside him in front and then stuck to the game plan by hugging the rail from the final turn, while the opposition went wide looking for better ground. The plan worked perfectly, and the glamour Te Akau owned colt bolted away to win easily with Vespa (NZ) (Elusive City) best of the rest in second, and Recite (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in third place.
“After we had walked the track we came up with a fearless plan and with a fearless ride from Matt we got the win. It was a gamble but it came off,” said Autridge.
Winning jockey Cameron was elated with the performance. “He wasn’t that comfortable in the conditions, but it didn’t matter. He sprinted away from them, like he did in the 2000 Guineas,” he said.
Xtravagant flies out to Melbourne on Wednesday evening the week of the Group 1 A$750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5.
The Australian Guineas could add enourmous value to his stud career.
Xtravagant has won five of eight starts, and earned $423,750 for the 2014 Te Akau Breeding Syndicate.
The son of Pentire is out of unraced mare Axiom (Zabeel), making him a full-brother to He’s Remarkable (Pentire), winner of the Group 3 Newmarket Handicap and runner-up in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and the Group 1 Railway Stakes.
Pentire, also sired the winner of last year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), Prince of Penzance (NZ). He was also offered through Rich Hill Stud's yearling draft at New Zealand Bloodstock.
Xtravagant was purchased by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $375,000 at the 2014 Karaka Premier Sale (Lot 367). Ellis, the 11-time leading buyer of NZB National Yearling Sales Series, spent over $5m on 20 purchases at Karaka last month.
The win provided Te Akau with their second win in the race, after five-time Group One winner and leading sire Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill) won in 2007.