Pin up boy El Vencedor signed off his latest local campaign with the final leg of a winning Group One treble when he downed gallant mare La Crique in a thrilling finish to the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie.
El Vencedor or EV as he is now affectionately known had added the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) to his career record at his previous two starts and was shooting for a final local accolade before heading to Hong Kong next month to contest the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
Punters installed him the $1.40 race favourite and looked to be in for an armchair ride to the bank after jockey Wiremu Pinn found the front from barrier four and walked his seven rivals through the first 900m of the race.
Michael McNab aboard La Crique was having none of that and sent the mare forward to find the front with 1000m to run and had the favourite breathing down her neck rounding the home bend.
El Vencedor put his nose in front at the 300m but La Crique refused to lay down as they went head to head, stride for stride to the finish where EV got his nose down at just the right time to win by a short head.
Trainer Stephen Marsh, who had produced Provence to win the Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) barely 35 minutes earlier, was trying to soak it all in as he answered questions about the performance.
“I’m so proud as he is just amazing,” Marsh said.
“I thought we had been beaten on the line again as La Crique was so tough, tried her hardest and it was just a great spectacle.
“What can I say as I’m a bit overwhelmed as the last half an hour has been the best in racing you could ask for.
“The owners (David Price and Mark Freeman) have bred him, have been long term with us and I’m just proud of everyone involved including Wiremu who has done a lot of work for us.”
Marsh also outlined his plans for his charge before heading overseas.
“This is just such a great race and it is fantastic when it is like that,” he said.
“Geez it got tight and it was sweaty palms time, but he is tough and he knows where the winning post is.
“We have got six weeks to go until Hong Kong so he might enjoy a little time in the paddock, not too much as he will get too fat, then Hong Kong here we come.”
El Vencedor was set to have a big payday on Saturday no matter the outcome, with the gelding having an unassailable lead in the Rich Hill Champion Middle Distance Series going into the final of the series and earning a further $300,000.
The six-year-old currently finished the series on 24 points with La Crique (14 points) securing the runner-up bonus of $150,000, with $50,000 split between Snazzytavi and Qali Al Farrasha who finished tied on 10 points each.
Bred and raced by Freeman and Price, El Vencedor has now had 41 starts for 12 wins, 14 placings and more than $2.104 million in prizemoney.
Kevin Robertson
LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
