3 Win Wednesday - What You Wish For Fabulous
3 October, 2024
Given what can only be described as an Opie Bosson special, What You Wish For (4 g Embellish – Grand Wish, by Smart Missile) won the $65,000 Rating 75 1600 metres on 2 October at Matamata.
What You Wish For had come from last when resuming in the Rating 65 1300 metres to win impressively on 21 August at Taupo, and then circled from the rear with a big run for second in the Rating 75 1600 metres on 21 September at Ellerslie.
Impressive winning as a two-year-old, stakes' placed in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas 2000m, and placed two from two on his home course (Matamata), What You Wish For rated a top three chance but had to overcome the challenge of the outside gate (12).
Electing to steady back in the early stages, Bosson opted for luck in the running by sticking to the rail. Although last on straightening for the run home, What You Wish For had plenty of gas in the tank to push clear inside the 300m and seize on the leaders with a powerful finish.
The Heretaunga – Hastings To The Core race provided a second win on the programme for trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, following Wild Night in the $65,000 Open Handicap 1300 metres, while stable-mate Captured By Love appeared a certainty beaten when finishing third after badly missing the start in the Group 2 Hawkes Bay Guineas and Skew Wiff was claimed late to finish second in the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate.
“It was a really good winning effort by What You Wish For and a lovely ride of Opie’s to get a good run through them,” Walker said.
“He’s a horse that we really think is going places and we’re just going to give him a freshen-up now and target bigger races over the Christmas/New Year period like the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile.
“He’s really starting to hit his straps as a four-year-old and the progeny of Embellish are starting to get stronger with age.
“What You Wish For strikes us a horse that will keep improving with even more time and the owners should have plenty to look forward to.”
Massively shortened in the betting market, What You Wish For dropped from an earlier fixed odds quote of $6.50 & $2.45 to pay $2.10 & $1.20 on the NZ TAB tote, while running 1600 metres in 1:37.2, last 600m in 34.0 (approx.), on Good4 footing.
During his three-year-old season, What You Wish For commenced with two seconds before finishing fourth in the Group 2 Sarten Memorial later came from last in fastest last 600m (34.9) to finish third in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas, and ended his campaign with a solid sixth in the Group 1 NZ Derby.
Owned by the Te Akau Wish & Win Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), What You Wish For was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $60,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud.
Ellis also purchased his sire Embellish (Savabeel) as a yearling at Karaka - he who won the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas, beating stable-mates Age of Fire (Fastnet Rock), while subsequent superstar Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) was beaten a nose for third.
“We’ve got quite a few horses by Embellish in the stable and while we were more than happy with what they did as three-year-olds, we could also see how much better they’d be at four with more maturity,” Ellis said.
“What You Wish For is a classic example, from the first crop of Embellish he was talented enough to win as a two-year-old over 1300 metres, measured up against the best three-year-olds to 2400 metres, and he’s started this season in great form.
“He’s developing into a really good sire, Embellish. His progeny keep winning and they’re getting better with age.
“We’ve got some beautiful yearlings on the farm by Embellish and I’m sending four mares to him this season at Cambridge Stud. We’ve backed him as a sire and we’re having plenty of success.”
What You Wish For was strapped by Tamweer Alam.
Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz