Metro Double for Sacred Falls

Media Release - Saturday July 9

Exciting New Zealand-bred gelding Waihaha Falls produced one of the most impressive performances in Australasia on Saturday, outclassing his opposition by almost five lengths in the A$150,000 Bowermans Handicap (1200m) at Randwick.

Waihaha Falls salutes at Randwick in the Waikato Stud colours - image Steve Hart

Trained by John O’Shea for owner-breeders Waikato Stud and Guy and Bridget Lowry, the Sacred Falls gelding headed into Saturday’s race as a smart winner of three of his eight career starts, most recently a three-length romp at Randwick on June 11 – his first start since January.

Saturday proved to be more of the same second-up, with Waihaha Falls living up to his $1.70 favouritism with a spectacular performance.

The four-year-old was patiently ridden by apprentice jockey Reece Jones, settling well back before beginning to advance purposefully out of the pack as the field approached the home turn.

Jones released the brakes in the straight and the race was all over. Waihaha Falls bounded clear to score by four and three-quarter lengths.

“He won that really impressively,” Jones said. “I had to go to Plan B and settle one pair further back than I thought, but then I let him cruise around them and he’s put them to the sword. He’s a horse going places.”

Advertisement

From nine starts, Waihaha Falls has now picked up four wins, a placing and A$255,300 in stakes, with the promise of much more still to come.

“The horse is flying, and I don’t think he got out of second gear today,” O’Shea stable representative Alex Maher said. “Onwards and upwards from here, hopefully.”

Waihaha Falls is by Sacred Falls out of the Scaredee Cat mare Mink, who herself was a winner from Lowry’s Hastings stable. She later crossed the Tasman to join O’Shea, for whom she collected another two wins and also finished fourth in the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in 2012.

Mink is the dam of two winners from three foals to race, with Waihaha Falls’ half-brother Golden Key a five-time winner in Australia and Macau.

Waihaha Falls was one of two impressive metropolitan winners in Australia on Saturday for former Waikato Stud stallion Sacred Falls, whose three-year-old son Duke Of Hastings scored over 2000m at Caulfield. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Bowermans (Bm88) 1200m

Randwick Track: Heavy(9) Time: 1:13.27
1
Waihaha Falls
- 4g Sacred Falls (NZ) x Think Mink (NZ) (Scaredee Cat (NZ))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: Reece Jones 52.5
2
4.8
Snippy Fox
- 5m Foxwedge (AUS) x Snippet Street (AUS) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: J Ford 55
3
6.6
Poetic Charmer
- 7g Your Song (AUS) x Hoss Amor (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: S Clipperton 58.5
4
6.7
Mamaragan
- 4g Wandjina (AUS) x Forbidden (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: John Thompson Rdr: Brock Ryan 54.5
5
8.6
Sir Kalahad
- 7g All Too Hard (AUS) x Kalamata (AUS) (Desert Prince (IRE))
Tnr: Gavin Bedggood Rdr: Tim Clark 54
6
9.9
Dream Circle
- 5g Dream Ahead (USA) x Courtyard Circle (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: David Payne Rdr: K S Latham 59
7
10.7
Opacity
- 5g Ocean Park (NZ) x Twilight Granita (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: Rachel King 55.5
8
11.3
Lord Olympus
- 4g Olympic Glory (IRE) x Lady Zabelia (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: Mark Newnham Rdr: Tyler Schiller 57
9
11.4
El Buena
- 4g Rubick (AUS) x For Lulu (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J R Collett 54
10
22.3
Inn Keeper
- 8g Host (CHI) x Petit Cadeau (AUS) (Kingston Mill (USA))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: G Schofield 60
More Reading...
Breeding to Win - 2025 Manikato Stakes
Racing at The Valley on Grand Final Eve in Melbourne - the southern capital doing what it does best, bringing people together in celebration of sporting greatness!
Spring Juvenile Contest at Otaki on Friday
Otaki trainer Andrew Campbell is excited about the prospects of his promising juvenile Singletary, and he is looking forward to kicking off his career in the Vets On Riverbank Two-Year-Old (800m) at his home track on Friday.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Richard Johnston has bred some very good horses under his Bylong Park banner including triple Group I winner Think It Over and an Anders three year-old he bred and races was an eye-catching debut winner at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Manhattan Rain Gold Rush in WA
Geisel Park won’t be the only WA breeder on board when the first locally-conceived 2yo crop of its Group 1 sire Manhattan Rain get mobile this season.
Sires With Winners - Thursday September 25
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday September 24
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
€1.9million Sale-Topping Colt Wins G3 Somerville Stakes
The Group III Somerville Stakes (7f) was run at Newmarket overnight with the Godolphin blue carried by exciting Night of Thunder colt Distant Storm, who they purchased for a sale-topping €1.9million at the Arqana May Breeze Up Sale earlier this year.
Golden Rose Sires Where Are They Now?
Since the $1million Golden Rose was elevated to Group I status in 2009 it has been won in every single year bar one by a colt with the lone gelding to succeed being Manawanui in 2011 and winning this race is a passport to a commercial stud career, so we thought we’d take a look at the fortunes of the past winners who have gone to stud in Australia.
Ardrossan Filly Wins First Kiwi Juvenile Race of New Season
Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece.
30 Runners in Goffs Million!
The stage is set for Europe’s richest two-year-old race, the Goffs Million (7f), which has attracted a maximum field of 30 runners at the Curragh this Saturday and the €1 million contest, with prize money down to 10th, is only open to graduates of last year’s Goffs Orby Sale.