Xbox cut the prettiest of pictures on Wednesday
for equine photographer Trish Dunell.
The three-year-old was bred by the recent Media Award winner at New Zealand
Thoroughbred Racing's Horse of the Year evening and she was on hand at Te Rapa to
capture his runaway win in the Flagstaff Café & Sports Bay 1100m.
An $85,000 purchase at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale out of Kilgravin Lodge's
draft, Xbox is the second winner for Niagara and Dunell has remained in the
ownership of the gelding, who is from the family of the dual stakes winner
Waldorf.
"I was a bit nervous, it was a very strong field and I hadn't done a lot with
him," said trainer Graham Richardson, who prepares Xbox at Matamata with Gavin
Parker.
"I thought he might have needed it, but he won well and Jason (Waddell) is a
lovely, balanced rider so it was great."
Xbox settled close to the pace and when he was asked for an effort by Waddell
250 metres out he sprinted clear to have three and a-quarter lengths on the
favourite Karisto at the post.
"The horse has got a fantastic action and I think he's good enough to be
looking at black type races," Richardson said.
Xbox had finished third in his first appearance on his home track in July, with
that effort coming off the back of a fourth placing in an Avondale trial that
failed to tell the full story.
"He could have won by miles, he just couldn't get out," Richardson said. – NZ
Racing Desk.