Mare shows staying potential
WS bred Margaret Jean hinted at a bright future in a staying role when she put away her rivals with ease at Hawera this afternoon.
The lightly-tried daughter of Sacred Falls had finished runner-up at Taupo over 1800 metres at her previous appearance and relished the step up to 2000 metres.
Rider Craig Grylls gave the Stephen Marsh-trained mare a dream run on the trail and, after getting off the fence at the top of the straight, finished strongly to open her account.
Bought at Karaka National Yearling Sale by Go Racing for $90,000 from the draft of Hyde Park, Margaret Jean is out of the winning Pins mare Frockstar.
She is a half-sister to the former Singapore Horse of the Year, Currency, and also the family of the dual Group 2 winner and G1 Tarzino Trophy placegetter Our Abbadean.
Yaldi second Group winner in two weeks
A gallant Yaldi showcased the prowess of sire Ardrossan, securing the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas title at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Trained by Andrew Forsman, the three-year-old claimed the race outright after a protest and now eyes the $1.5M Karaka Millions 3YO and $3.5M The Kiwi.
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Ballarat trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy have Centennial Park, their rising three-year-old by Waikato Stud’s Super Seth, on the radar for the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi. Back-to-back wins, including today’s Caulfield Heath triumph over 1600 metres, highlight his potential, with connections eyeing prime distances and opportunities ahead.
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