3 Win Wednesday - Wild Night Wonderful

Date: 3 Oct 2024

3 Win Wednesday - Wild Night Wonderful


Remaining unbeaten in three starts on his home track, Wild Night (5 g Vanbrugh – Supreme, by Falkirk) resumed with victory in the $65,000 Open Handicap 1300 metres on 2 October at Matamata. 

Winner of both the Group 2 Sarten Memorial and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes as a three-year-old, Wild Night has now recorded seven wins from 14 starts. The showy chestnut was held together while going well for third in a trial on 19 September at Rotorua, and drew ideally (2) to recapture his earlier career form.

Ridden by Warren Kennedy, Wild Night trailed in second before entering into a three-way tussle, with pacemaker Sagunto (O’Reilly) to his inside and race favourite Master Fay (Deep Field) outside, but he remained dogged in the fight to snare victory. 

“It was a terrific fresh-up win by him today and a really good ride by Warren Kenndy,” said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson. 

“He travelled up nicely to the home turn, hit a bit of flat spot, but I thought Warren picked him up really well and basically threw him over the line to win.

“He hadn’t been back at the races for quite some time, great to see him under race day conditions again, and he’ll certainly take plenty of improvement for it. Everyone at the Colt Barn has done a great job getting him back into racing trim, Rylee Sheehan in particular, just nursing him back to soundness.

“It’s exciting for his owners to see him back racing and winning. They’ve been very patient, because it’s frustrating having a horse with so much ability that has been on the sidelines for so long.” 

In the race named Matamata Function Centre, Wild Night ran 1300 metres in 1:16.3, last 600m in 34.3 (approx.), and drifted in betting to pay $4.20 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote.

“They’ve (Mark & Sam) brought him back really nicely,” Kennedy said. “He’s moving fantastically and his attitude is great.

“He was nice out of the gates, got the trail I thought he would and when I asked him to lift he actually lifted quite readily.  He hit the line really strongly, as did all three of them, but he put his head down when it really mattered and wanted to win.

“He was one of the best three-year-olds we had a couple of years ago and what he’s capable of is, basically, the sky. 

“They’ve just got to nurse him along and bring him back nicely, which they have done. He enjoyed this race and he’s come back good.”

On course, Bergerson added: “On the corner when Master Fay went round him I thought he was done and dusted, but it’s fantastic to see him win like that.

“He’s obviously one of the stable favourites, he’s been through a lot in his career and he’s very talented on his day.

“He’s had a few issues that have been well documented, but he’s had a really long, slow, build up, and a massive thank you to the team at home.”

Bergerson suggested that depending on how Wild Night comes through the run, he could contest the Group 3 $120,000 Valley D’Vine Spring Sprint 1400m on Saturday 12 October at Te Rapa. However he had    an luckless trip to Hawkes Bay last weekend and raced Wednesday, so he will be monitored closely to see how he comes through Wednesday's performance.

He added that fourth placed stable-mate Campionessa (Contributer), a Group One winner over 2050 metres, would head to the Group 1 $550,000 Livamol Classic 2040m on the same day at Te Rapa. 

Wild Night was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $50,000 at the Karaka 2021 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Windsor Park Stud, is owned by the Te Akau Love to Party Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), and has won just shy of $500,000 in prize money.

Wild Night is a half-brother to Play That Song (Showcasing), a Group Two winner and Karaka Million 2YO runner-up. 

“He was a really nice colt at the sales,” Ellis said. “We thought he was very good value at the price and we were prepared to take a chance on the well-bred young sire Vanbrugh (Encosta de Lago). 

“His grand-dam Maxamore (Volksraad) was a really good filly that won the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes 1200m, so the ability is certainly there in the family.

“It’s great that a horse like this can be such a wonderful flag-bearer for his owners and the stable, and we can look forward to him continuing his good form.”

Wild Night was strapped by Muralla Mallesh.


Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz


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