New SW Super Seth - Poetic Champion Brilliant Return

Media Release - Saturday September 7

A brilliant return to racing in Saturday’s Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings sent a clear message that Poetic Champion will be a force to be reckoned with in three-year-old ranks this season.

Poetic Champion powering away with the Listed El Roca - Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings on Saturday.  Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

The Super Seth gelding showed bright promise as a juvenile, winning by six lengths on debut last October before finishing third in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), second in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m), sixth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), second in the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m) and sixth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).

Trial cancellations disrupted Poetic Champion’s spring build-up, eventually winning a 950m trial on the Cambridge synthetic track on August 30 – just eight days before Saturday’s black-type feature.

But despite his less-than-ideal preparation and despite coming up against a quality field of three-year-olds at Hastings, Poetic Champion kicked off his three-year-old season with the best performance of his career so far.

The chestnut jumped well from the inside gate for jockey Matt Cartwright and pulled ahead of Grove Street to take up a front-running position after the first 100m. That was where he stayed, dominating the race from the front and never giving the others a look in.

Cartwright pushed the button in the straight and Poetic Champion’s response was spectacular, powering clear to win by two and a quarter lengths from the strong-finishing Savaglee.

“That was lovely,” Cartwright said. “He jumped cleanly. There was a bit of pressure early, but I didn’t want to give the lead up. He half stargazed out in front, but then he was quite explosive after straightening up.

“I thought he might be a bit underdone coming into this race, but Tony Pike is a legend at getting horses right on the day and he’s done that today.”

Bred and raced by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, Poetic Champion has now had seven starts for two wins, three placings and $152,150 in stakes.

Advertisement

The TAB now rates him a $6 chance for the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings on September 28, and he is a $12 chance for the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 9.

“We just had a couple of little niggly issues with this horse towards the end of his two-year-old season,” said Pike, who has previously won the El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy with Bostonian in 2017 and Cyber Attack in 2018. “We’ve put those behind us now and he’s come back in great order.

“I was a little worried that we had a short run-up into this resuming run, only trialling at Cambridge eight days ago. But Matt rode him beautifully in front and got a soft lead. He’s just a really genuine racehorse and I’m rapt to see him back in winning form.

“He’s bred and owned by Jonathan Munz, who also owned Super Seth, so it’s great to get him a stakes win with one of Super Seth’s progeny.

“He’s a really sharp horse, so I’m not too sure how much of a trip he’ll be able to run. We’ll bring him back for the Hawke’s Bay Guineas next, and his performance there will probably help us decide whether or not we carry on down to Riccarton. He might be more of a sprinter, and the heart probably says 1600m might not be his distance, but they can sometimes get away with it against their own age group at three.

“He’s eligible for the NZB Kiwi (1500m) as well, so that’s another target that we can think about.”

Poetic Champion is the third SW for Super Seth.

Poetic Champion became the third individual stakes winner for exciting young Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth, who is also the sire of Sydney Group Three winner Linebacker as well as last season’s Listed winner Super Photon, who finished fourth in Saturday’s El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.

Advertisment

Race Result - El Roca - Sir Colin Meads Trophy LR 1200m

Hastings Track: Good(4) Time: 1:10.37
1
Poetic Champion
- 3g Super Seth (AUS) x Regally Blonde (AUS) (Royal Academy (USA))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: Matthew Cartwright 57
2
2.3
Savaglee
- 3g Savabeel (AUS) x Glee (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Ms P Gerard Rdr: S C Spratt 57
3
3.6
Full Force
- 3g Cosmic Force (AUS) x Jawhara (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Hollie Wynyard Rdr: R T Elliot 57
4
5.4
Super Photon
- 3c Super Seth (AUS) x Chandelier (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: Joe Doyle 57
5
5.5
Move To Strike
- 3c I Am Invincible (AUS) x No Evidence Needed (AUS) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: O P Bosson 57
6
5.6
Grove Street
- 3c Ferrando (NZ) x Dancing Song (NZ) (Senor Pete (USA))
Tnr: Team Rogerson Rdr: L T Hemi 57
7
7.9
Skippers Canyon
- 3g Belardo (IRE) x Goldsumware (NZ) (Refuse To Bend (IRE))
Tnr: J V Wallace Rdr: W B Kennedy 57
8
9.7
Ballon d'Or
- 3g U S Navy Flag (USA) x Ireland's Teardrop (IRE) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Peter & Shaun Mckay Rdr: M Hashizume 57
More Reading...
Twain wins G3 Sweynesse Stakes
It seemed as though it would be only a matter of time before Twain added a stakes victory to his name and the rising star did just that at Rotorua on Sunday, powering late to take out the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m).
Ka Ying Rising Ready to Rumble
Plenty of drama has surrounded Ka Ying Rising ahead of Saturday’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, but trainer David Hayes assures everything is fine with the Kiwi-bred sprinting sensation.
Super Seth 3YO Set for G3 Almanzor Trophy
Flying three-year-old Poetic Champion will spearhead Tony Pike’s trio of sprinters contesting the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Millions Night, staged this Saturday at Ellerslie.
One to Watch – Scone
With the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas to be run  this Saturday at Caulfield it only seems fitting that we find a ‘One to Watch’ on Monday, whose dam and grand-dam both won the iconic race for fillies.
Promising Winner for Hello Youmzain – Full Sister NZB Ready to Run
Young Cambridge Stud based Hello Youmzain (Fr) added a new stakes -winner to his tally in France over the weekend with two year-old colt Dostoievsky winning the Listed Prix Saraca at Chantilly and on Monday produced a promising maiden winner at Kembla.
Super Seth 2YO Seeing Stakes Success
Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) brings together four of the six winners of two-year-old races in the North Island so far this season, and Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is hoping to see his runaway debut winner Poetic Champion rise to the occasion in the star-studded Pukekohe clash.
Globe Half-Brother in 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale
NZB had more than one reason to celebrate the front-running triumph by Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) in the A$1m Group One Might And Power Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Winning Debut for Expensive Satono Aladdin
Promising colt Yamato Satona made an impressive start to his racing career at Arawa Park on Sunday, kicking off a winning treble for his trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott.
Super Seth 3YO in Mix for G1 Sprints
A crack at a major summer sprinting prize against the older horses hasn’t been ruled out for quality three-year-old Poetic Champion.
Kiwi Breeder Celebrating Autumn Boy Guineas Triumph
High class three-year-old Autumn Boy may not have a New Zealand suffix next to his name, but his Kiwi roots run deep.