The Melbourne Cup dream is back on for the injury-plagued Hasta La War after the son of Declaration Of War (USA) found the winner’s circle for the first time in eighty-three weeks in Saturday’s Listed Port Adelaide Cup (2500m) at Morphettville.
Ridden by Teagan Voorham for Sue Murphy, Hasta La War enjoyed the solid pace, finishing full of running to defeat Clever Man (Dundeel) by one and a quarter length, with Designs (Vancouver) the same distance back in third.
It was the first stakes win for the 7yo gelding who owns placings in the Group II Herbert Power stakes, Group III Geelong Cup and Listed Adelaide Birthday Cup.
A $30,000 purchase for his trainer from the Rosden Park draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Hasta La War advances his record to eight wins, four seconds, and three thirds from 23 starts with earnings of $345,525.
Hasta La War has had two stints of over a year on the sidelines.
An emotional Sue Murphy said the next stop would likely be the Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington on May 13, where the winner earns a golden ticket to the Melbourne Cup.
“It has been a dream come true - to get him back is just fantastic,” Sue Murphy said.
“We dreamt of running in the Melbourne Cup last year, and things went topsy-turvy. He did the second tendon, and I thought, ‘just keep dreaming’.
“This was the aim. I said we needed two runs leading up, and luckily, we got the Terang Cup under our belt.
Teegan Voorham has been on Hasta La War in all eight wins.
“She has got the record, and she knows the horse. That’s worth another five lengths, I think,” Murphy said.
A half-brother to the Group II Adelaide Cup runner-up Saddler’s Story (Xaar), Hasta la War is one of eight winners from 12 to race for the unraced Sadler’s Wells mare Mofajah (GB).
A sister to Group II winner and Group 1-placed Narrative, and a half-sister to Group III Prix de la Grotte winner and Group 1 Prix de Diane runner-up Baya (Nureyev), Mofajah (GB) was pensioned in 2020.
Mofajah’s stakes-winning dam Barger (Riverman) is a sister to the champion Triptych.
Her 14th and final foal is an unraced 3yo Foxwedge gelding, Hasta La Amnesty, who is also in the Sue Murphy stable.
Hasta La War is the 49th stakes-winner for now Japanese-based stallion Declaration Of Wayr (USA).
