Al Hasa Looks the Goods

The Informant reports:

David Ellis mightn't have been far off the mark at Karaka in January when the $625,000 Exceed And Excel colt he had just bought was labelled as his “Golden Slipper horse”.

Today at Riccarton the colt now named Al Hasa lived at least up to his hot favouritism and gave some credence to the Ellis rating with a runaway win in the Barneswood Farm Welcome Stakes.

Ellis wasn't on hand to elaborate on his comment nine months ago, but co-trainer Jamie Richards was playing a more conservative bat as he spoke of the handsome bay's future.

“It was just good to see him so professional,” Richards said. “The race and the trip down will take a bit out of him, but he'll learn a lot from that and he'll go home and head to the paddock.

“He'll tell us when he's ready to come back, but he can either go to the Eclipse at Ellerslie on New Year's Day or wait for the race Melody Belle ran in there last season before going to the Karaka Million.

“That's the target at this stage and as for the Golden Slipper, well I suppose dreams are free.”

Al Hasa, who had finished a close second to Crystallize at Ellerslie late last month, lacks nothing on either side of his pedigree. Besides being the son of a champion stallion, his dam is the former class filly Oasis Rose, best known for her close second to Sacred Falls in the 2012 New Zealand 2000 Guineas on the Riccarton track.

Stable rider Opie Bosson, who had combined with Te Akau colt Embellish to win last Saturday's 2000 Guineas, was significantly impressed with today's performance.

“He was doing it easily enough but gawking around at the crossing and I decided he needed a bit of a wake up,” Bosson said. “A couple of flicks behind the saddle and he flattened out.

“I liked the way he went to the line; he's obviously pretty smart.”

Al Hasa put six lengths on his rivals, with the closest of them Niagara filly Thunder Bay, who cut the Savabeel filly Patsys Lass out of second right on the line.