Well-supported when disappointing behind Hitotsu in the Victoria Derby twelve months ago, the Tavistock gelding Gunstock looked like a Cups horse in the making with a dominant performance in the Group III Neds Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Wednesday.
Ridden by Jamie Kah for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Gunstock found himself in front at the 700m when Johnny Got Angry began to weaken.
The son of Tavistock did not look like stopping on the deteriorating track to defeat Yonkers USA) (Medaglia d’Oro) by three lengths, with Aurora's Symphony (Glass Harmonium) one and a half lengths back in third.
Off the scene for forty-six weeks after his Derby failure, Gunstock was a fighting second over 1630m at Flemington on September 18.
“He’s not a bad horse, we just had to clean him up a bit after the derby. He has a good 2400m race in him whether it is Bendigo, Geelong, or the last day of the Carnival,” Price said.
“He is a clean-winded, sound stayer who can win a nice staying race. He is still on the up.”
The winner of the Group III Caulfield Classic over the same course and distance last spring, Gunstock advances his record to three wins, a second, and a third from seven starts with earnings of $286,685.
An $80,000 pinhook by Ohukia Lodge from the Cambridge Stud draft from Book 1 at Karaka, Gunstock made $135,000 to the bid of Import Racing at the 2020 Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale.
A brother to the Group II ATC Phar Lap Stakes and Group II Carbine Club Stakes runner-up The Irishman, Gunstock is out of the unraced Zabeel mare Zeranti is out of a half-sister to stakes-winner Snapshots and Express a Smile, the dam of triple Group 1 winner Sea Siren, Group III winner and successful sire Oratorio (AUS) and Listed winner Discord.
DGR Thoroughbred Services and Snowden Racing outlaid $200,000 for a brother to Gunstock a the 2021 NZB Karaka Book 1 Yearling Sale. Named The Englishman, he finished second on debut at Kensington- Randwick on August 24 to the Group I Golden Rose third Zou Tiger.
Zeranti has a yearling colt by Belardo (IRE) and was not covered last year.
