4 Win Saturday - Stakes' Wish Comes True

Recording the fourth victory on the card for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, What You Wish For (4 g Embellish – Grand Wish, by Smart Missile) won the $100,000 Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday at Matamata.

Having won both two-year-old feature races, with La Dorada (Super Seth) in the $225,000 Group 2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Return To Conquer (Snitzel) in the $150,000 Group 3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m), along with Balance Of Power (Almanzor) taking out the $40,000 Gavelhouse Rating 75 2000 metres, What You Wish For put the icing on the cake.

A dual winner earlier in the season to 1600 metres and placed at the distance in the Waikato Guineas (Gr. 2, 2000m), What You Wish had done very well from last to finish sixth in the $1 million Elsdon Park Listed Aotearoa Classic (1600m) on 25 January at Ellerslie, brought very good course form, carried minimum weight (53kg), and rated top four in an even field.

What helped his prospects was a terrific ride by premiership leading jockey Craigh Grylls, who navigated a beautiful trip, handily placed on the rail, angled out to challenge turning for home, and What You Wish For displayed his customary quickening abilities to defeat recent Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Wolfgang (Puccini).

It was a performance of some reckoning by a well-performed horse, and one that signalled his arrival into the middle-distance and cups ranks.

“He hadn’t been beginning that great and the plan was to at least to be midfield, but I copped an absolute flyer out of the gates and took the opportunity to cross them (in front) and ended up in the trail,” Grylls said.

“It was only a sedate tempo and he was hard on the steel the whole way, but once he got into the gap, he travelled up really strong and he was probably aided by the second horse, when he got to him, because it made him find more. 

“It was a great win. It was 2000 metres today and he’s going to learn to relax and be even better.”

On Good4 footing, What You Wish For ran 2000 metres in 2:07.8, last 600m in 33.9, and held firm in betting to pay $7.10 & $2.30 on the NZ TAB tote.

Significantly, a slow pace through the mid-stages was reflected in the overall time, while such a swift last 600m made it difficult for horses back in the field. Thankfully, What You Wish For was able to capitalize on a lovely trip just behind the pace. 

“It’s always special, the home track meetings, and now everyone has to come down here (birdcage) and clock their horses and see the tangerine colours on the statue,” said co-trainer Mark Walker, referring to the jockey statue that is painted each year in the colours of the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) winner, which on this occasion was La Dorada (Super Seth). 

“The locals came out to support the meeting, (track manager) Graeme Styles and his team have presented an amazing track again, so she’s been a good day.

“He’s (What You Wish For) always promised it, and we actually took him out and sprinted up 400m this morning, so that got him thinking a bit. 

“I think the stock of Embellish, you’ve just got to be patient with them, but he’s a really underrated sire. If you just nurse them a long, I think they’re going to be good four and five-year-olds.”

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, who won the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), beating stable-mates Age of Fire (Fastnet Rock), while subsequent superstar Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) was beaten a nose for third. 

Impressive winning as a two-year-old, What You Wish For commenced his three-year-old season with two seconds before finishing fourth in the Sarten Memorial (Gr. 2, 1400m), came from last in the fastest last 600m (34.9) to finish third in the Waikato Guineas (Gr. 2, 2000m), and ended his campaign with a solid sixth in the NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m).

He resumed this season with an impressive last to first win in August at Taupo, finished powerfully to win over 1600 metres in September at Matamata, and his last start performance, at Ellerslie, should have had no detractors. 

Recording his fourth victory, What You Wish For certainly is a versatile customer and has the ability to keep improving. 

What You Wish For was strapped by Mahesh Kumble. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz