Scat Daddy’s first son to stud No Nay Never (USA) posted his first Australian bred stakes-winner when the Te Akau owned two year-old Need I Say More scored a dominant victory in the Group III Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) at Matamata in New Zealand on Saturday.
The Jamie Richards-trained runner was having just his second start after an impressive debut performance on the same track earlier in the month, but was expected to play second fiddle to his more illustrious stablemate Cool Aza Beel in Saturday’s feature for the two-year-old colts and geldings.
Fresh off his Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) victory at Ellerslie last month, Cool Aza Beel was installed a $1.40 favourite to take out the contest despite some doubts creeping in regarding his ability to handle the Slow7 track conditions that prevailed after steady rain throughout the day.
Need I Say More proved far superior to his stablemate, keeping up a powerful gallop to defeat Cool Aza Beel by two lengths.
“He’s definitely a nice horse and really starting to come to it now,” Richards said.
“He’s needed a bit of time but he’s by a very good stallion in No Nay Never out of a Fastnet Rock mare who had a lot of success.
“I don’t think the favourite (Cool Aza Beel) will lose any admirers but full credit to the big chestnut horse.”
Richards admitted that Need I Say More had been a work in progress that had tested his patience at times.
“He showed absolutely nothing and was very laid back in his work,” he said.
“We gelded him, put the hood on him and gave him a bit of a hurry up at the trials here one day and he really lengthened well.
“He hasn’t taken a backwards step since then.”
Richards advised it was likely that both of his runners would make their next appearances in the Group I Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on March 7.
Need I Say More will look to extend Te Akau Racing’s unique record in recent years with Heroic Valour (2016), Sword Of Osman (2018) and Yourdeel (2019) all having won the Ellerslie feature after taking out the Matamata race at their previous start.
A $130,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for David Ellis from the Kilgravin Lodge draft, Need I Say More was a successful pinhook having been sourced from the Burnewang North draft at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $65,000.
The 21st stakes-winner worldwide for No Nay Never, Need I Say was bred in Victoria by Burnewang North and more is the first foal of winning Fastnet Rock mare Bo Bardi, a daughter of imported US stakes-winner Our Golden Dream (USA), who is by Medaglia D’Oro.
The second foal of Bo Bardi is a Dissident filly that will be offered by Stockwell Thoroughbreds as agent at Inglis Premier as Lot 549.
A runaway success for Coolmore in the Northern Hemisphere where his fee has been set at 175,000 euros for 2020, No Nay Never was back in Australia for Coolmore last spring and covered 83 mares at a fee of $44,000.
