Super Seth 3YO in Guineas victory romp

Exciting young talent Poetic Champion did his sire Super Seth proud with an explosive performance to claim black-type honours at Hastings on Saturday afternoon.

The son of the Waikato Stud stallion was making his first appearance for six months in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy and produced a commanding frontrunning performance to dominate the finish of the 1200 metre feature.

“He’s a very sharp horse as we all know and he’ll obviously come back here for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (G3, 1400m) in three weeks’ time,” trainer Tony Pike said.

“Depending on his performance, we’ll decide whether we go to Riccarton for the 2000 Guineas (G1, 1600m).”

Poetic Champion failed to reach his reserve at Karaka last year so he’s also eligible for the inaugural running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi in the autumn.

“We’ve all got that to look forward to,” Pike said.

The chestnut, who had won a lead-up trial on the all-weather track at Cambridge, was quicky into stride at Hastings for rider Matt Cartwright and travelled easily in front to the turn.

Poetic Champion surged clear at the top of the straight and powered away to win by 2.3l from Savaglee, a Waikato Stud-bred son of resident sire Savabeel.

“He jumped cleanly and I did cop a bit of pressure, but didn’t want to give the lead up,” Cartwright said.

“When I quickened him up he was quite explosive, it was a big win as he was still a bit under done.”

Poetic Champion won once from six starts last term and finished runner-up in both the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes and the G3 Matamata Slipper.

“He had a few niggling issues at the end of his two-year-old season and we’ve tidied them all up,” Pike said.

He is the third stakes winner for Super Seth following Linebacker’s G3 Bailieu Handicap success last season and the Listed victory of Super Photon in the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes.

Bred and raced by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, Poetic Champion is out of the Royal Academy mare Regally Blonde whose half-brother Starspangledbanner was a multiple Group 1-winning sprinter in Australia and England before a decorated stud career.