Super Colt Lands Stakes Victory

Major targets for next season have already been identified for Waikato Stud graduate Super Photon who ended his unbeaten juvenile campaign in dashing style at Te Rapa on Saturday.

He became the second black type winner for the Matamata farm’s exciting young sire Super Seth when he accounted for fellow graduate Renovations in the Listed Waikato Equine Centre Veterinary Centre Stakes.

Super Photon is prepared by Stephen Marsh and the trainer’s pre-race concern in moving up in trip from his Rotorua debut win over 1150 metres to 1400 metres proved groundless as the colt romped to victory.

“It was a bit of an ask, but I rate him very highly,” Marsh said.

“Next season as a three-year-old you’ll see him going to the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (G2, 1400m) and the 2000 Guineas (G1, 1600m).

“He is a high-class colt and his first-up win was great and he had improved. He’ll be in the paddock on Sunday and have a month off.”

Super Photon settled in fourth spot away from the fence before improving before the turn and raced clear to score by a length and a-half.

Renovations boxed on gamely for second in his bid to replicate the 2017 win in the event of his sire Ardrossan.

“He’s a beautiful horse and I fell in love with him when I rode him at the trials,” winning rider Michael McNab said.

“He found a good kick, but he did struggle in the (soft) ground.” Super Photon is a half-brother to the dual Group 1 winner Mo’unga with their dam the stakes performed O’Reilly mare Chandelier.

He was purchased at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $380,000 and his three-year-old half-brother by Savabeel, the as yet unraced Hey Bro’unga, made $1 million at Karaka in 2022.

Chandelier produced a filly by Savabeel last year and is back in foal to Super Seth, whose first stakes winner was the G3 Ballieu Handicap winner Linebacker, who also ran second in the G1 Champagne Stakes.