The best son of the Matamata farm's resident stallion Pins, the eight-year-old
repeated his international victory of 2014 with a tenacious performance for
expatriate Kiwi trainer Paul O'Sullivan at Sha Tin on Sunday."He's an unbelievable horse and great for Paul," stud principal Mark Chittick said. "He's such a tough sprinter to be still competing and winning at that level.
"It was a fantastic result for Pins and Windsor Park Stud's Nelson Schick and Steve Till, who bred him, and for New Zealand."
The success crowned a highly satisfying week for Waikato Stud, whose colours were carried to victory on Saturday by Craig Grylls aboard Coldplay in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes and on Hurry at Ellerslie on Sunday.
"We also won races last week with Date Night at Ellerslie and with Movie at Moonee Valley on Friday night," Chittick said. "It's been exciting and very timely with the sales coming up at Karaka.
"With the so-called spring we had, all the good horses and good stables have been a month behind and they're all getting going now."
Date Night, Movie and Hurry are all by the stud's champion stallion Savabeel, whose son and farm graduate Lincoln Blue pressed his Gr.1 Vodafone NZ Derby claims with victory in Sunday's Listed Life 3YO Salver at Ellerslie.
Yet another Savabeel home-bred Sacred Shot also won there after placings at his only two previous appearances.
The Gr.1 Cox Plate-winning son of the legendary Zabeel is also the sire of Coldplay, whose immediate future is still being mulled over. She is trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman for Chittick's father Garry and breeder and long-time friend Gary Wallace.
"There's the Zabeel Classic, but they are weighing up whether to send her over 2000 metres just yet," Chittick said.
"There's also the Thorndon Mile and Sydney a bit later on. The only thing she's missing now is a Group One." – NZ Racing Desk.
