Day One-Derful

Following on from where they left off, Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson had Day One (3 g Wootton Bassett – Eleonora, by Makfi) win the $25,000 Barfoot & Thompson Maiden 3YO 1600 metres on 11 December at Ellerslie.

The Te Akau trainers had 10 winners in four days, to last Sunday, with all three stables: Matamata, Riccarton, and Cranbourne (Victoria), contributing, and Day One kept the roll going after running home strongly for close fifth when debuting in the Maiden 1400 metres on 16 November at Rotorua.

With stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM aboard, returned following a mandatory stand-down for concussion, Day One had to contend with the outside gate (12) and ended up racing three-wide in midfield, but tracked up nicely inside the 600m and displayed his quality when quickening past race favourite Aurthur (Camelot) over the final 200m.

On Good4 footing, Day One ran 1600 metres in 1:38.1, last 600m in 35.4 (approx.), and paid $4.80 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was a really good effort, especially after not getting all favours in the running, but Opie didn’t panic and the horse produced a big effort to win,” Walker said.

“The horse would have learned a lot from the experience and he quickened up like a nice type.

“Obviously he’s very well bred and great to get another win for Lib Petagna and the Elsdon Park team in Matamata.

“He’s a big, scopey, type of horse, with a lot of raw ability, which we saw today, and he’ll only get better as we step him up in distance.  I loved the way he relaxed and then quickened so well in the straight.”

Day One is bred and owned by JML Bloodstock (Mgr: Lib Petagna), which only keeps its best mares to breed from and in the case of this gelding's dam Eleonora, they have a very good example.

Purchased as a yearling for $60,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, by Bruce Perry Bloodstock, who has a fine record of acquiring horses for Petagna, his dam Eleonora won the Group 3 Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie, Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield, and finished third in the Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington, and has already produced stakes' winner Ethereal Star (Snitzel).

Adding to the depth of the pedigree, Day One is by Champion Sire Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), while his grand-dam is Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal (Rhythm), who won $6 million in stakes and become the pride and joy of owner/breeder Sir Peter Vela.

Furthermore, great grand-dam Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram) won the Hong Kong International Cup (HK1, 1800m) in 1993, one of five stakes’ victories.

“It was a really good win and the opinion of Opie (Bosson), as one of his favourite horses in the stable, and that of trainers, came to fruition,” Perry said.

“When buying Eleonora as a yearling at Karaka, I knew Makfi (Dubawi) well from the UK, after being over there, and loved the Pencarrow family. She always looked a nice, tough, racehorse and that’s how she turned out.  As a broodmare, she seems to be doing a great job as well and it’s exciting to have another nice prospect in Day One.

“We’ve got a cracking filly by Maurice (Screen Hero) in the Elsdon Park draft going to the yearling sales in January at Karaka, and Eleonora is in foal to Super Seth (Dundeel), so that’s the Super Seth/Makfi cross that has already left a couple of stakes' winners.

“Day One had a leg issue as a yearling, so we didn’t put him through the sales, but he seems fine now. He’s racing as a gelding and Te Akau is doing a good job with him.

“We’ll try and get some black type with him at his next start, and there’s some nice options over New Year on onwards.

“The stable has had a high opinion of him and it’s good to see that rewarded at his second start.”

Day One carries bloodline crosses to two of the finest: Danzig and Mr. Prospector.

Day One was strapped by Mahesh Kumble. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz