Ardrossan’s son makes perfect start

A true-blue Waikato Stud product launched his career in style at Awapuni on Saturday afternoon.

Ardee Boy claimed top honours in the two-year-old event at the first time of asking for trainer Peter Didham, who went to $50,000 to claim the Matamata nursery-bred son of resident sire Ardrossan at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.

Off the back of success in his sole trial outing at Foxton, the youngster bounded to the lead and stayed on strongly in the run home for apprentice Toni Davies to the 1100 metre contest by a length.

“He is a lovely, good-looking horse who has got some serious ability,” Didham said. “I would have loved to have given him one more trial, but it was $30,000 on our back doorstep and only seven runners.

“I could have gone to the trials next week and run against eight horses. I expected him to go well and he will improve out of sight with the run.”

Ardee Boy is the fifth juvenile winner for Redoute’s Choice’s son Ardrossan and among them are the Listed winners Saltcoats, Codigo and Loch Katrine.

He is out of the Zabeel mare Dee I Why, who is also the dam of six-time winner Shoshone, and she has a yearling sister to Ardee Boy and is on foal to Banquo.

Dee I Why is a daughter of Playful Fingers, twice successful at stakes level, and the family of the G1 CF Orr Stakes winner Manuel and the South African Group winners Hancock Park and her daughter Park Lane.