$1million Fastnet Rock Colt Chasing Karaka Million 3YO

Media Release - Tuesday January 21

Victorian trainer David Hayes will be in New Zealand later this week as he puts the finishing touches on three-year-old colt Conqueror ahead of Saturday’s $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).

Conqueror - image Bruno CannatelliThe good looking son of Fastnet Rock and Kiwi Group One winner Diademe will be out to replicate his year older former barn-mate Long Leaf, who plundered the prize when successful in the race last year.

Hayes, who trains in partnership with son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, can’t fault the preparation of the last-start Caulfield winner.

“We have been training him right-handed on the Ellerslie leg,” Hayes said.

“He has been coping really well and certainly hasn’t gone backwards. He is very fit and I think he will run a good race. He will travel over on Thursday and gets there on the eve of the race.”

The winner of two of his 10 starts, with a further four placings, Conqueror has been around the mark against some of Australia’s best three-year-olds.

A truly run 1600m race would play to Conqueror’s strengths, with Hayes comparing the colt favourably to Long Leaf over the classic distance.

“I would say he is a better miler than Long Leaf,” Hayes said. “Long Leaf was probably more of a sprinter and this horse is more of a miler.

“With his stallion value and great pedigree we have tried to knock through a good class mile race. We went close without winning.

“He was not far off them in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m), second in the Sandown Guineas (Gr.2, 1600m) and it was a good run when fourth in the Carbine Club (Gr.3, 1600m) against the very best in Australia.

“After the Karaka Million we will be lengthening him out in distance, because I am sure he is a horse that will thrive over 2000m and even a mile and a half.”

Advertisement

Conqueror made $1million at Karaka 2018 Like Long Leaf, Conqueror was purchased from the draft of Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore, fetching $1 million to the bid of bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington.

Sporting the navy blue colours of global breeding giant Coolmore, Conqueror is raced by a syndicate of heavy-hitting international owners and there is a chance the colt could remain in New Zealand for the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) on February 8 with a view to enhancing his future stud credentials.

“Depending on how he runs, we will look at the 2000m weight for age race a couple of weeks after the Karaka Million 3YO,” Hayes said.

“With horses like Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark unlikely to be running in that race, it could be a race that appeals. He will be set for the Sydney Carnival after that.”

While Hayes is pleased with the condition of his colt, he admits he doesn’t know a lot about his opposition, which include quality gallopers Probabeel and Harlech and he will be relying on the local knowledge of star Kiwi hoop James McDonald, who will again be returning home this weekend.

“Having James McDonald in the saddle is a positive,” Hayes said. “He knows his way around Ellerslie and is a world-class jockey.

“Probabeel, who has been in Australia with good form looks the benchmark, but I don’t know a lot about the others.

“All I can say is my horse is a quality colt that is very fit and he will be a hard nut to crack. If he drew in, it would make James’ job easier.”

Hayes, who will be re-joining the training ranks in Hong Kong at the beginning of the new season, is looking forward to adding some more Kiwi yearlings to his barn when he attends the Karaka Sales, which kick off on Sunday.

“I hope we can buy a few,” he said. “I don’t think we will be the headline maker at the sales, but the last two expensive colts that we bought were both pretty good, so it would be nice to find another.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
Kiwi Bred Good Banter Finds Winning Form
Four-year-old mare Good Banter was back in the winner’s circle when narrowly prevailing in the Catanach's Jewellers Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
Buccleuch - First Stakes-Winner for Peltzer
The $175,000 Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday was won back in 2020 by Cherry Tortoni, who went to on to become a multiple Group winner of nearly $1million and the same colours were carried by this year’s winner Buccleuch.
More G1 Success for Fastnet Rock’s Avantage
A Champion 2YO that won the Karaka Million in 2018, quality Fastnet Rock mare Avantage again showed her class at Trentham on Saturday when scoring a determined victory in the Group I JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) defeating Enzo’s Lad, who had won the previous two editions of the prestigious sprint.
Sweet Redemption for Stable Favourite Jimmy the Bear
Patrick and Michelle Payne enjoyed a red letter day at Flemington on Saturday with their rising star Buccleuch winning the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final and then later in the day stable favourite Jimmy the Bear won the Listed VRC Winter Championship Series Final (1600m).
Divine Prophet’s Fortunate Kiss Captures Elusive Black Type Win
With nine top five finishes in previous black type races, it was better late than never as 6yo Divine Prophet mare Fortunate Kiss charged along the inside to win the $300,000 Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday – her first black type victory.
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.
Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz Wins A.R. Creswick Stakes
While many felt the winner of Saturday’s Listed $175,000 VRC A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) had raced two weeks prior in the Shop Flemington Handicap (1100m) – and they would’ve been correct – but it was not the result many punters felt it would be!
Pride’s Outsider Estadio Mestalla Wins Winter Stakes
The lone stakes race on Rosehill’s ten-race card on Saturday saw Joe Pride’s race outsider Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) take out the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) in a boilover.
Marble Nine Brings Up Second SW For Aquis Sire Kobayashi
The withdrawal of the top weight in Saturday’s $175,000 Listed VRC Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington saw the field down to just six, with Marble Nine continuing his outstanding recent form to secure his first black type victory.