Cover image by Dan Himbrechts courtesy of AAP Photos
Written by Paul Vettise
Promising stayer Stockman (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) brought back special memories for trainer Joseph Pride with his tenacious victory at Randwick.
The Warwick Farm-based conditioner has tipped a bright future for the 3-year-old, whose family he knows extremely well.
Stockman is a son of the G2 Championship S. winner Crimson (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who has also produced the dual Group 2 winner Abidewithme (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) and the black type winner and Group 1 performer Miss Scarlatti (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}).
She is also the dam of Miss Scarlatti’s sister A Fairy’s Kiss (NZ), who is the mother of Destiny’s Kiss (Power Of Destiny), the winner of 13 races and multiple black type events up to 3200 metres for Pride.
He is confident Stockman can make his mark in much better company following a determined display to win Saturday’s Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation H.
“He’s a really well-bred horse and it was a great win for a great group of people and Jamie Walter’s Proven Thoroughbreds,” Pride said.
“He had to make such a long run so he was going to be a bit susceptible late. It was a really good staying performance and I can only see him getting better as he goes further, especially when he matures more.
“He had to make such a long run so he was going to be a bit susceptible late.” – Joseph Pride
“I’ll see how he pulls up and if he needed to go to the paddock for a break it certainly wouldn’t worry me.
“He seems to be a good, tough individual and Jamie is super patient and lets me take as much time as I need with these horses. He’s an exciting prospect. "
Rider Sam Clipperton was equally effusive in his praise for Stockman, who was a NZ$175,000 purchase out of Cambridge Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka.
The late Tavistock (NZ), sire of Stockman
“I’m a fan of the horse and watched him throughout his career. He’s very progressive and still untapped and raw,” he said.
“He thought his job was done at the furlong and he had a fit horse of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s to run down and he really dug deep and slogged it out.”
Stockman answered every call from Clipperton to get the better of the previously unbeaten Reinvest (Redoute’s Choice) and third went to the longshot The Guru (Rubick).
