4 Win Saturday - El Viento Flies Like the Wind

A stylish winner on the course in January, El Viento (3 g El Roca – Mandeville, by Hussonet) won the $40,000 Ancroft Developments Special Conditions 1400 metres on Saturday at Matamata.

In the interim, he wound up nicely from last for fourth in the Rating 65 1300 metres on 10 February at Te Rapa, and rated a top three chance.

Aboard when letting down with a flourish to win his Maiden, stable rider Opie Bosson again settled El Viento off the pace, six lengths 600m, and mirrored the performance when lengthening to the outside of runners over the final furlong.

On Soft5 footing, El Viento ran 1400 metres in 1:23.1, last 600m 35 (approx.), and paid $5.70 & $3.10 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was another nice win over a good field and lovely ride of Opie’s,” Walker said. “His timing, as usual, was brilliant.

“He’s a horse with plenty of scope and size and we think he’ll make into a really nice handicapper as a four-year-old.

“He’s showing good promise for the owners, winning two of his first four starts, and looks to have a nice future.”

Owned by Te Akau Fly Like The Wind Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), El Viento was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $95,000 at the 2022 NZB Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Westbury Stud.

A good athlete that let down and got into his work, he breezed up in the top 20 times (10.26) when galloping before the Ready to Run Sale in October at Te Rapa. 

Sire El Roca, by Champion Sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), keeps firing out winners including Group One winners Travelling Light and Romancing The Moon, each of whom won the Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m), with the latter also trained by Te Akau. 

Dam Mandeville was a winner over 1600 metres in Australia, before doing a great job as a broodmare, producing eight to race and all winners.

Dam-sire Hussonet (Mr. Prospector) was a highly respected sire of over 20 Champion gallopers worldwide, while further enhancing his status as a very influential broodmare sire. 

Accepting on behalf of the owners, David Ellis CNZM said: “Thank you very much to Catherine and Phillip Brown at Ancroft Stud for their sponsorship.

“On my first day ever at Matamata I saw a mare called Battle Eve, owned by Phillip’s family, and she was as good a mare as I’ve seen race in New Zealand. She was absolutely stunning and one of the reasons I got completely hooked on this great industry.

“The Matamata Racing committee is doing a great job of running this club and the track manager, Graeme Styles, is as good as anybody in the world that I’ve seen. 

“Congratulations to our owners in this horse that are having so much fun at the moment and he looks a really progressive type.

“He was a very classy type of colt with a great action when we bought him and from a world renowned family.

“It’s exciting to be able to buy a horse from the family of Black Caviar, who was unbeaten in 25 races, and her half-brother and successful stallion All Too Hard.

“What a thrill it is to have Cameron (Rodger) and Lachlan (Litt) here today from Entain, which partners the TAB. They just love racing and I love people administering this great industry that have such a wonderful passion for it. 

“The job they’re doing is something we can all be so proud of.

“Also, to Mark and Sam and the training team here at Matamata, congratulations on turning this horse out in such great order and for the continued high quality work.”

El Viento was strapped by Manjoy Kumar.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz