After underpinning the Karaka Yearling sale for many years, few could begrudge Te Akau Racing's David Ellis a Group I victory in Australia with the Iffraaj (GB) gelding Gingernuts in Saturday's $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m).
It was the fourth consecutive win for Gingernuts who was coming off a victory in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
Ridden by Opie Bosson for trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, Gingernuts was well back early but was set to an all-out drive by Bosson well before the home turn.
Despite making a long run, the son of Iffraaj (GB) showed no signs of weakening, keeping up a relentless gallop on a bottomless track to hold the challenge of favourite Inference (So You Think) by two and a quarter lengths with a short-half-head to Robbie Laing's So Si Bon (So You Think) back in third. (photos Steve Hart).
New Zealand-
By Te Akau Racing's standards, Gingernuts was a bargain basement $42,500 purchase at the 2015 NZB Ready To Run Sale of 2YOs.
"This is huge," Richards said. "It was a great effort.
"It has been a long day waiting for this and watching Winx.
"We bought the horse at the Ready To Run Sales and we syndicated him amongst some clients of ours and they are having a whirlwind ride.
"It's great for the industry when horses like this step up and it looks like he's going to be hard to beat in two weeks' time.
Connections would need to pay a $44,000 late entry fee to book Gingernuts a place in the $2 million Australian Derby but Opie
"He jumped slow and got a bit of a squeeze but he got into a nice rhythm throughout the race and I knew I had a fit horse under me," Bosson said.
"He had his ears pricked all the way up the straight and he was gawking and looking around, I was just trying to keep his mind on the job.
"That was a huge win."
Gingernuts is the fourth foal and second winner out of the 4-time winner Double Elle, a daughter of the Epsom Derby winner Generous from the family of the NZ oaks winner Devante the dam of WA Oaks winner Leggings.
