Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Three-year-old Kovalica, a son of Ocean Park (NZ), will take his place among eight horses on Saturday in the G3 Grand Prix S. at Eagle Farm. He’s one of four in the field to have won at his last start, making this a fairly competitive contest over 2100 metres.
The Grand Prix S. has a good pattern of producing Oaks and Derby horses, and a quick glance through its recent history spells that out.
Last year’s winner, the Kiwi-bred Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}), went on to win the G1 Queensland Oaks and run second to El Patroness (Shamus Award) in the G1 Australian Oaks, while both Hawkspur (Purrealist) and Brambles (NZ) (Savabeel), previous winners of the Grand Prix S., won the G1 Queensland Derby at their respective next starts.
Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (white cap) | Image courtesy of Grant Peters
As such, Saturday’s race is a compass for autumn and winter form, and Chris Waller’s Kovalica heads in as a tight favourite in the betting markets.
The 3-year-old gelding has won three of his four lifetime starts to date, including his last three on the bounce, and the only horses breathing down his neck are the Maurice (Jpn) filly Noah ‘N’ A Deel and Godolphin’s Frankel (GB) gelding Tradition.
Kovalica is trained by Waller on the Gold Coast, relocating in November after running fourth on debut at Newcastle then first of two starts at Wyong and Warwick Farm. He was a last-start winner over 2000 metres at Doomben on December 3, justifying every bit of favouritism this Saturday.
Nearco Stud graduate
In New Zealand, Kovalica’s breeder will be watching the race closely. Greg Tomlinson, the owner of Nearco Stud, bred this gelding in 2019 from his smart mare Vitesse (NZ), a daughter of Makfi (GB).
John Thompson and Greg Tomlinson | Image courtesy of New Zealand Breeders' Association
Tomlinson, a Christchurch businessman of considerable note, is no stranger to good horses. He bred Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock), a superb Hong Kong champion, and Quintessential (NZ) (Fast 'N' Famous) who won him a Queensland Oaks in 2012.
“Greg is a very enthusiastic owner and racehorse breeder,” said Regan Donnison, a Nearco Stud representative. “He bred this horse and he’s been kept right up to date with the deeds Kovalica has done for his young mare, Vitesse.”
Vitesse is just 10 years old. Kovalica was her second foal after a Jimmy Choux (NZ) filly called Serenella (NZ) in 2018, and he was a normal, straightforward sort of yearling, as Donnison recalls.
“Greg (Tomlinson) is a very enthusiastic owner and racehorse breeder. He bred this horse and he’s been kept right up to date with the deeds Kovalica has done for his young mare, Vitesse.” - Regan Donnison
“There was nothing fancy about him at all,” he said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “He just looked in the mould of a racehorse, really. There was nothing flashy about him, he had no white or anything that blings or stood out.
“But he was always an athlete, and I know that Greg and Nearco first and foremost breed athletes. That’s what they set out to do and Greg’s bred a Hong Kong champion in Beauty Generation. He’s bred some really good horses over the years and that’s his first and foremost.”
“There was nothing fancy about him (Kovalica) at all. He just looked in the mould of a racehorse, really. There was nothing flashy about him, he had no white or anything that blings or stood out. But he was always an athlete...” - Regan Donnison
It’s particularly satisfying then that Kovalica has done so well in a short space of time.
As a yearling, he was sent by Tomlinson to a Curraghmore draft and presented at Book 1 of the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Sale. He was Lot 205, an uncomplicated, complete bay colt that caught the eye of Guy Mulcaster, who paid NZ$110,000 to bring him to Australia.
In hindsight, it was good buying.
The dam, Vitesse, is a half-sister to The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), whose three Group 1 wins through 2019 and 2020 included the Doomben 10,000, Kingsford-Smith Cup and Canterbury S.
Further along in this family is the New Zealand Horse of the Year Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), whose extraordinary career saw him land 10 Group 1 races, including the G1 Futurity S. in Australia.
Mufhasa (NZ) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Racing Desk
“There are two champions in this family,” Donnison said. “You’ve obviously got The Bostonian, who was a Champion sprinter, and you’ve got Mufhasa who was a genuine Champion.
“So this is a very prolific family and it goes back to some very good, stout blood further back in the pedigree. It’s a good Kiwi pedigree so there’s no surprise that Kovalica has turned out the way he has.”
Karaka upgrade
Tomlinson and Donnison will be watching Saturday’s race if anything in hope of a classy upgrade to Kovalica’s Super Seth half-sister that is destined for Book 1 of Karaka 2023.
The filly is Vitesse’s third surviving foal, and she is Lot 626 in the draft of Kilgravin Lodge, with that operation purchasing her at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale when she was offered by Nearco via Curraghmore and sold for NZ$85,000.
“She was a lovely filly for us, and it would be a nice upgrade for her if her half-brother could keep going,” Donnison said. “The team at Kilgravin Lodge pinhook horses very well so hopefully she can give them a nice payday come January.”
“She (Kovalica's Karaka-bound half-sister) was a lovely filly for us and it would be a nice upgrade for her if her half-brother could keep going. The team at Kilgravin Lodge pinhook horses very well so hopefully she can give them a nice payday come January.” - Regan Donnison
At Nearco, Vitesse missed to Almanzor (Fr) this spring, but she’s back in foal to Ocean Park for a full sibling to Kovalica. It was a tactical mating by Tomlinson.
“When the mating was done earlier this year, Kovalica hadn’t hit the track with the deeds that he’s done,” Donnison said. “But he was a nice foal, a nice yearling and he had made NZ$110,000 from an astute buyer like Guy Mulcaster.
“Guy had seen him on the farms and ended up buying him at Karaka, so it was a bit of a strategic play for us to go back to Ocean Park with Vitesse. It’s played out the way we hoped it would, and it’s exciting for us. Whether it presents as a colt or a filly next spring, it doesn’t really matter now.”
Classic-bound?
For the team at Nearco, Kovalica’s quick ascension in the last eight weeks has been a splendid reminder of Chris Waller’s brilliance.
Regan Donnison | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“It really shows how Chris Waller has placed him so well, and obviously the horse himself has got above-average ability,” Donnison said. “Chris wouldn’t be putting him in a stakes race on Saturday unless he was well-up to it, so it’s very exciting. Plus a Kiwi horse won this race last year (Gypsy Goddess) so, hopefully, a Kiwi horse takes it home again this year.”
The Grand Prix S. will be Kovalica’s first attempt at stakes company, but he isn’t an isolated example. Largely, none of the field have competed at stakes level, except the 3-year-old colt Kandos Cosmos (Stratum Star), who was fourth in the G3 Spring S. at Newcastle last month.
“I’m fairly sure that if Kovalica comes through this race, they’ll send him to a Derby-type prep,” Donnison said. “But getting through Saturday will obviously be their first aim and I’d say they’ll go from there.
“Chris (Waller) wouldn’t be putting him (Kovalica) in a stakes race on Saturday unless he was well-up to it, so it’s very exciting. Plus a Kiwi horse won this race last year (Gypsy Goddess) so hopefully a Kiwi horse takes it home again this year.” - Regan Donnison
“You talk about Mufhasa and The Bostonian in this family. A mile was probably their go, but we know Ocean Park is able to leave good horses over distance. He had a horse run third in the Melbourne Cup this year (High Emocean), so he’s obviously adding a bit of stoutness to the pedigree.
“As 3-year-olds, you try to work them out and get them that Classic win, and hopefully Kovalica can come through for us on Saturday, and they can head that way.”
