Ferocious Wolverine ready for Million

Cover image courtesy of Trish Dunell

Plenty of trainers would have been scared off by Wolverine's histrionics at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, but not Bergerson, who saw the physical strength and mental determination of a horse he could work with. Endorsing that quality, she was named after one of the most determined and ferocious members of the animal kingdom.

"She was just a lovely well-balanced filly and she showed a lot of aggression. She just pigrooted around the ring for about 20 minutes. You wouldn't believe it, she just wouldn't stand still for us," he told TDN AusNZ.

"She was bucking and carrying on, but she was such a good-looking filly, really strong, a lot of muscle. I really like to see that aggression in a filly."

Wolverine boasts a strong Waikato Stud pedigree, being from an O'Reilly (NZ) mare, Knew It (NZ), who is a granddaughter of Group 1 winner Critic (NZ) (Centaine) and from the family of Ocean Park (NZ). But Bergerson feels that her parade gymnastics and a couple of other factors ensured he and Chris Rutten Bloodstock were able to get her for a relatively modest price of NZ$50,000.

"A few people told me that she failed the scope, but I wasn't too worried as it wasn't a major thing, Apparently, she had a bit of an upset throat. I've had her scoped three or four times since and they said she is fine," he said.

"Perhaps the stallion (Tivaci) wasn't going that good at that stage. He hadn’t had a 2-year-old winner and people tend to make their minds up far too quickly. They did the same thing with Savabeel, nobody wanted him really early on and then they start winning and everyone wants them.

"I think we were just lucky at the right sale. This year they will be triple that value."

Young Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci's credentials have certainly taken off on both sides of the Tasman this season. He now has 11 winners, highlighted by G1 Flight S. winner Never Been Kissed (NZ).

Wolverine has been the star of the second crop, winning all three of her starts to date, including victories in the G2 Wakefield Challenge S. and G2 Eclipse S., the latter on protest.

While he has admired Wolverine as a yearling, it wasn't really until Bergerson got a saddle on the filly that he realised he might have something special.

"We gave her a quiet jump-out one day and an ex-jockey that rides work for me said to me, 'This could be the best horse you ever touch, geez, she can run'. She just progressed from there. She's been pretty straightforward," he said.

On the radar

She debuted at Otaki in November, defeating a small field but capturing the attention of a few suitors in Australia. Among them was Australian Bloodstock, who thought she might make a progressive prospect.

"I had a call from Melissa Robertson, she does a bit of stuff with Luke Murrell from Australian Bloodstock. He then rang and put a deal to us," Bergerson said.

"There were a few people chasing her, Ozzie Kheir and those guys were pretty keen on her as well. Their (Australian Bloodstock's) offer was better than anyone else's. We got to keep half of the filly and get to race her in New Zealand as a 2-year-old.

"They got on at the right time with her to be fair. She'd just won her first start and beaten three other horses but the way she did it, suggests that she would be a tidy horse. I think they are enjoying the ride."

Depending on how she performs Saturday, Bergerson, who prepared Savaria (NZ) (Savabeel) to win the 2015 G1 New Zealand Oaks, will likely get the chance to aim the classy filly up at a Group 1 race before she heads to Australia as a 3-year-old.

"If she goes really well, she will stay for the final Group 1 here, the Manawatu Sires' Produce on her home track in April," he said.

"She’ll end up in Australia as a 3-year-old filly. That's the plan and she'll probably go to Kris Lees."

One for the Million

In the meantime, Wolverine, Bergerson, and jockey Leigh Innes, who will wear the Australian Bloodstock colours, have a NZ$1 million date at Ellerslie this Saturday.

Bergerson has given the filly as easy time of it after the win in the Ellerslie protest room over Pacific Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), who she was impeded by late in the Eclipse S.

"We sent her to the paddock for three days just to freshen her up and start again. We did that after the Wakefield as well, just to let her chill out. She has come back really super. I think she is better than what she was before the Eclipse anyway," he said.

"We can't fault her really, her soundness is great, her appetite even better and her work is so strong."

The headstrong qualities that drew Bergerson to her as a yearling still persist.

"She's a very competitive horse. This morning it took four of us to saddle her up. She was trying to bite and kick everyone, and was squealing going onto the track," he said.

"As soon as she works, she is the quietest horse in the stable. She just wants to go out there and do it. She's a beauty."

She is set to be one of the hardest to beat in Saturday's race, with Bergerson confident on form that she has the measure of the majority of the field

"It’s an even field, probably the most even for a few years. She's probably the yardstick. She has won two Group 2 races and beaten most of them," he said.

"I wouldn't swap her for any other one in the race."

Te Akau and Jamie Richards have dominated the Karaka Million 2YO in recent years, winning the last five editions. On Saturday Richards, whose assistant trainer is Bergerson's son Sam, has five in the race.

"Sometimes you can get sick of the tangerine army winning," Royden said. "My son is the assistant trainer there. He might be happy to see her win too, because he's got a share in her!"