Written by Richard Edmunds
Wednesday’s Ballarat meeting unveiled a pair of talented New Zealand-breds with the potential to feature in better-quality staying events later in the 3-year-old season.
First up was Redwood Shadow (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), who stretched out strongly from near the back of the field to score a comfortable victory by 1.5l in the Eureka Concrete Maiden Plate.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr and ridden to victory by Dean Yendall, Redwood Shadow holds a nomination for the Victoria Derby at Flemington on October 31.
“Mick will probably find a 3-year-old ratings race for him next, over a little bit further,” stable representative Matthew Williams said. “He's still in the Victoria Derby, but that may come up a bit too quick. But if he's still training on well, it could be an option.”
Passed in at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with a reserve of only NZ$20,000, Redwood Shadow has now had two starts for a win, a placing and $22,400 in stakes.
“He's a horse who never looks really comfortable in the run,” Williams said. “Dean just looked like he was niggling away at him a bit.
“Further looks like it will be up his alley, because he just doesn't overdo things early. We'll have to see what Mick thinks, but maybe he'll require a set of blinkers at some stage. He wanted to lay in when hitting the front, he's obviously still learning.
“Further looks like it will be up his alley, because he just doesn't overdo things early." - Matthew Williams
“He's showing no tactical speed early at all, but he's got a good finish on him. He's not a big horse and he's still not there in the coat, so there's still a bit to come from him.
“He was bought from New Zealand on the back of a fellow who studies length of stride and some of this new technology that they do. He’s shown some promising signs.
“He was a plain little horse when he came down to Warrnambool, he didn't grab us too much, but everybody that rides him says that for not an overly big horse, what a nice stride he's got on him.”
Redwood Shadow (NZ)
Redwood Shadow is out of the four-race-winning Thorn Park mare Prickley Princess (NZ), who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Pondarosa Miss (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and the multiple stakes winner and Group 1-placed Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Their dam Bak Da Princess (NZ) (Danske {NZ}) is a half-sister to the dam of Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), winner of the G1 Chipping Norton S. and Waikato Sprint and third placegetter in last year’s Cox Plate.
Winning debut
Just over half an hour after Redwood Shadow’s victory, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s Jaffastock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) made a winning debut in the Hewitt & Whitty Maiden Plate.
In the hands of Michael Dee, the colt wore down Captain Canuck (Vancouver) in the final strides of the 1400 metre race and prevailed in a photo finish.
“It was a good, solid win,” Busuttin said. “We were just worried he might lack a bit of ringcraft, but he was very professional.
“We've taken a bit of time with him, he's gone shin sore a couple of times. We'll try to find a progressive race for him during the spring and see where we end up, but he might be a nice horse for the autumn.”
Jaffastock was a $230,000 purchase from the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. He is out of Not A Jaffa (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), who is an unraced half-sister to Group 1 winners Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), plus Group 3 winner Gobstopper (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and the Group 1-placed Milseain (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
