by Richard Edmunds
Five months on from the retirement of G1 Australian Derby hero Jon Snow (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), the same connections struck black-type gold again with Rhaegar (Pluck {USA}) in the Listed Piazza d’Oro Auckland Futurity S. at Ellerslie.
Jon Snow (NZ) was a $65,000 yearling purchase at Karaka by Andrew Forsman, who trained him in partnership with Murray Baker. He was the first-ever racehorse for the Zame family, from Gisborne on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Jon Snow (NZ) took them on the ride of a lifetime, earning more than $2 million in prize-money in the process.
Rhaegar is only the second horse to carry the white, red and green Zame colours. He was another Forsman yearling purchase at Karaka, this time for $60,000. Like Jon Snow (NZ), he is named after a character from the immensely popular Game Of Thrones books and TV show. Raced by the Rhaegar Syndicate, he has now joined his predecessor as a black-type winner.
Rhaegar as a yearling
“Murray and Andrew are true champions, they’re great blokes and we can’t thank them enough for this,” Bart Zame said. “It’s amazing.”
Rhaegar completed some unfinished business for the Zames, delivering their first win at Ellerslie. Jon Snow (NZ) never won at New Zealand’s premier track, but recorded placings in the G1 New Zealand Derby, G1 Zabeel Classic and G2 Great Northern Guineas.
The Futurity was Rhaegar’s first top-five finish in his three-start career to date, but it was a stylish performance that hinted at a bright future.
Rider Michael McNab settled the gelding in sixth in a strung-out field of 12, then crept closer as the field approached the home turn.
Promising filly Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) swooped out of midfield to take the lead at the top of the straight, but Rhaegar quickly emerged on her outside. He surged past that rival and went clear, then held out the late challenge of his stablemate Long Jack (So You Think {NZ}) to win by a long head.
“I just steered him around today, it was a lovely win,” McNab said. “He felt really strong and was hard to pull up, so I think he’s got a lot of upside as he heads into his three-year-old season.”
It was a second consecutive Futurity S. win for Baker and Forsman, who saddled the filly Peaceful (NZ) (Savabeel) to win it last year.
"I think he’s got a lot of upside as he heads into his three-year-old season.” - Jockey Michael McNab
The dominant partnership has now won 25 black-type races in New Zealand this season, and the Futurity S. quinella follows a stakes double at the previous Ellerslie meeting with Lord Arthur (Camelot {GB}) and Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}).
“It’s very exciting,” Baker said. “Rhaegar has always shown plenty, but he’s been the most difficult and disappointing horse on raceday.
“We put blinkers on him and took him to the trials last Monday, where he won from the back. We had to get him to run genuinely. He’d been very disappointing and we were scratching our heads, because he had shown plenty on the track. It was a very good win today.
“I think both horses should have good futures. I think the second horse could be a seriously good three-year-old in the making.”
Rhaegar with his winning connections
Reflecting on a quinella in the 1400-metre Futurity S. and Quick Thinker’s win in last month’s 1600-metre Listed Champagne S., Baker lamented the lack of longer-distance opportunities for New Zealand two-year-olds.
“There just aren’t enough two-year-old races over 1400 or 1600 metres during April, May and June,” he said. “We’re supposed to breed staying horses, but we just don’t have enough opportunities for them.”
Rhaegar is the fifth stakes winner for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Pluck (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), who stands for $6,600 at Vinery Stud.
Rhaegar’s four-year-old half-sister Gratuitous (Big Brown {USA}), who has five placings to her name, and was sold for just $4,750 during this year’s Inglis Digital March Monthly Sale.
