Ellerslie Double - Win 2 Markus Aurelius
Date: 3 Apr 2021
A horse purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM for $13,000, Markus Aurelius (4 g Ghibellines - Evancho, by Shinzig) recorded his fourth consecutive win in grand style on Easter Saturday at Ellerslie.
Having completed a hat-trick with an easy victory in the Rating 74 1600 metres on Derby Day (7 March) at Ellerslie, Markus Aurelius rose in class for the $32,500 Race Images Open 1500 metres, but weight relief to 54kg aided his prospects of measuring up.
In the hands of Te Akau apprentice Joe Kamaruddin, who has partnered for three wins this time in and grabbing the bull by the horns in recent weeks, Markus Aurelius appeared ideally placed after the start to drop in behind the leading group. But, instead, he went forward outside the leader, applied pressure at will rounding the home turn and waltzed away to again score easily by two and a quarter lengths.
“He was really good again,†said trainer Jamie Richards. “Joe (Kamaruddin) used his claim to go forward and put a fair bit of pressure into the race a long way out, and he's won again with authority.
“He's a horse on the up and he'll go to the Easter Handicap (24 April) at Ellerslie. I think that's a nice race for him, even he might have to carry a bit of weight for getting through the grades so quickly.
“He's certainly been a big improver. He went to the South Island for his spring campaign and gone from strength to strength. He's always been a nervous type of horse that can sweat at the races, but he's getting there now and even again next year we could see further improvement.â€
Punters were certainly not perturbed by the newest graduate in open company, and bet him to a dominant $1.80 tote-priced favourite.
A bargain purchase by Ellis at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale, from the draft of White Robe Lodge, Markus Aurelius extended his record for owners in the Te Akau Great Southern Man Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn-Fenton Ellis) to six wins, two seconds, and third, from 11 starts.
“He's becoming an exciting prospect, with a great record, and he's winning by big margins,†Ellis said. “He's another with a really good group of owners that don't mind celebrating with plenty of gusto.
“I thought Joe (Kamaruddin) gave him a really positive ride, to instructions, and he was far too good for the opposition even though it's probably the best field he's come up against.
“He's a big strong fellow and just seems to keep getting better, which is great and typical of horses bred by the Anderton family at White Robe Lodge.â€
Markus Aurelius carries a lovely Danehill cross, through the dam side of Ghibellines and as the sire of dam sire Shinzig. His dam, Evancho (Shinzig), won four times to 2100 metres.
Markus Aurelius was strapped by Roushan Khan.
Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz
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