Equinox Stars on the Track

Reminiscent of his debut, Equinox (2 c Exceed and Excel - Our Ella Belle, by Encosta De Lago) again showed his liking for the course with a victory on Oaks Day at Trentham.

Having flattened out stylishly for an impressive win in January, Equinox was all at sea on genuinely slow ground in the Waikato Stud Slipper (Gr. 3, 1200m) last time at Matamata, but put things right with another very good winning performance for the Te Akau 2018 Colt Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Holding a nomination for the $225,000 Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) on 30 March at Awapuni, along with stable-mates Folk Dress (Pierro), Probabeel (Savabeel), and Yourdeel (Dundeel), he would appreciate good footing.

With Michael McNab replacing Troy Harris, who was stood down after being dislodged a day earlier at Te Aroha, Equinox dictated play in front, quickened to a handy advantage when asked to extend inside the 300m and got the job done ahead of a belated challenge by Holy Mongolemperor (More Than Ready).

“It's a great thrill for my owners in the Colts' Syndicate because he's now won two of his three starts and all going well can go on to contest a Group One in a couple of weeks,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis, who purchased the strong colt as a yearling by for $750,000, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, at the 2018 Karaka Book 1 Sale.

“We'd like to see good ground for him in the Sires' and ride him with a bit of cover, and it was great for Michael (McNab) to pick up the ride because he's been riding a lot of work for us and my policy is to put those on that ride the work.”

On dead ground, Equinox ran the 1200 metres in 1:11.5 and hotly supported on the tote he paid $1.50 to win in a field of eight.

Trainer Jamie Richards said: “I said to Michael (McNab), I'd like to see him tuck in (get cover) but it may not be the day to do that and he got a nice soft lead. He'll be a better colt when he's ridden with cover and give him something to chase.

“He probably still wants the track a little better again (for the Sires'), but we're heading into the autumn and the horse is going well. I thought Michael gave him every chance and the second horse had trialled really well so I think the form will stack up.

“It's certainly nice to get another win for the investors in the Colts' Syndicate and he's a high-class horse that we really like.”

For McNab, the win continued his good form on the course after riding three winners on Cup Day in January. 

“I know a fair bit about him and go over to ride for Te Akau, so I knew him well enough,” McNab said. “He's still only three parts there and doesn't really know what he's doing, but he's a got a real presence about him, a really cool horse that knows he's pretty cool. When he puts it altogether he could be very good.”

From the high-class race mare Our Ella Belle, a fast finisher for third to Katie Lee (Pins) in the 2009 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), the family has been nurtured by Pencarrow since (Sir) Peter and Philip Vela bought her fourth dam, Heidi Belle (Copenhagen 11).

Danehill son Exceed and Excel is the most successful sire of juvenile stakes winners at stud in Australia, and the colt carries a Northern Dancer cross through the breeding of Exceed and Excel and as the great-grandsire of dam sire Encosta De Lago. 

Equinox was strapped by Teina Walters.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

Back