Kiwi Stayers Caulfield Trifecta

Media Release - Saturday July 9

Three weeks after clearing maiden grade at Geelong, up-and-coming stayer Duke Of Hastings delivered a repeat result at Caulfield on Saturday and headed a New Zealand-bred trifecta in the A$130,000 Neds Fully Loaded Handicap (2000m).

 Duke Of Hastings claims victory at Caulfield Photo credit: Bruno Cannatelli

Sent out as an $11 chance for trainer Simon Zahra and jockey Harry Coffey, Duke Of Hastings settled in midfield before changing gears and finishing over the top of Storm King in the straight. The three-year-old scored by a long neck, with the rest of the field another three lengths behind the first pair.

“We just allowed the horse to relax and build into the race under his own steam, and he was too powerful over the 2000 metres,” Coffey said.

“He pulled up immaculate, so Simon (Zahra) has done a great job with him. He'll just continue to get further with more racing. He is a potential stayer that will race over these distances and further in town for a long time.”

Bred by Blandford Lodge’s Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, Duke Of Hastings is by Sacred Falls out of the Viscount mare Fairygem.

A half-sister to Group One winner Penny Gem, Fairygem herself won five races including the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Randwick. She is the dam of four winners from six foals to race, including the Listed-placed Dottie Dee.

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Duke Of Hastings was a $10,000 purchase by Victoria’s Cranton Bloodstock from Book 1 at Karaka 2020, then was passed in during the Ready to Run Sale later that year.

"There were no bids for him at the Ready to Run Sale," Zahra said. “It was probably just a bit too soon for him. He was a big, lanky thing, and now he’s furnishing into a nice horse.

“We've just been really patient with him and taken our time with him. He's not the finished product yet, he's still a fair way away.

“The wet track might have helped him, but he's got a good turn of foot on dry ground that we've seen at home. We were pretty confident that, no matter what happened with the weather, he'd be competitive.”

The minor placegetters in Saturday’s race were Storm King (by Complacent) and the former Kiwi-based Halston (Reliable Man), who now races under the name King Halston. – NZ Racing Desk

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Race Result - Neds Fully Loaded Hcp 2000m

Caulfield Track: Soft(7) Time: 2:06.62
1
Duke Of Hastings
- 3g Sacred Falls (NZ) x Fairygem (NZ) (Viscount (AUS))
Tnr: Simon Zahra Rdr: H Coffey 54
2
0.4
Storm King
- 3g Complacent (AUS) x Abenroad (NZ) (Danroad (AUS))
Tnr: Ben Brisbourne Rdr: Dean Holland 54
3
3.4
King Halston
- 3g Reliable Man (GB) x Cold Shoulder (NZ) (Volksraad (GB))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
4
3.5
Teewaters
- 3g Dundeel (NZ) x My Girl Lil (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: Archie Alexander Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 58
5
4.0
The Red Kite
- 3g Burgundy (NZ) x Veyrier (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy (USA))
Tnr: Andrew Bobbin Rdr: B Prebble 54.5
6
7.2
Jenniferenti
- 3f Fiorente (IRE) x Luisa Maree (AUS) (Big Brown (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Craig Williams 54
7
8.0
Bigolino
- 3g Good Journey (USA) x Star Temptress (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: L Nolen 56.5
8
11.0
Bishop
- 3g El Roca (AUS) x Santa Teresa (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Ms N Burke Rdr: Teodore Nugent 54
9
12.5
Alverdun
- 3g Dundeel (NZ) x Alverta (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: Ethan Brown 56
10
27.5
Badiss
- 3g Dissident (AUS) x Batik (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Ms C Alderson Rdr: Jarrod Fry 54
11
36.5
Montenegro
- 3g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Twilight Royale (AUS) (Testa Rossa (AUS))
Tnr: G B Andrews Rdr: Beau Mertens 54
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