First Leg of Mark's Treble

The outstanding form of Te Akau trainer Mark Walker continued on Friday night in Singapore, with a hat-trick of winners extending his lead in the premiership.

Prince Darci (3 g Darci Brahma - Obsession, by Bachelor Duke), purchased by David Ellis for Fortuna Syndications (Mgr: John Galvin), was first to break through in the $35,000 Class 5 1800 metres on the turf (long course).

Wide in the early stages, Prince Darci was able to drop in fifth passing the 1000m, ranged to challenge around the home turn at the 500m and saw the race out boldly with a good turn foot for premiership leading rider Vlad Duric.

Prince Darci ran the 1800 metres in 1:50.8, a very respectable time on good footing, and paid $3.00 & $1.40 on the NZ TAB.

“Prince Darci has been a bit physically immature,” Walker said. “He's a staying type horse that hadn't been strong enough to get him up to this length of trip previously. He'll do well for a good break now, but he should come back as a progressive sort of staying horse next preparation. He's going to be a nice five-year-old but he's just taken time to mature.”

Ellis outlaid $60,000 for Prince Darci as a yearling at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from The Oaks Stud draft, the second foal of impressive stakes performed mare Obsession.

At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “He is a really well-balanced colt and a terrific athlete. Mark (Walker) trained his sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) to win five Group Ones and we obviously love how well his progeny have performed.

“He is from a very good Group Two winning mare in Obsession. She was a particularly good race-mare and we feel this colt is very good buying at the price.”

Obsession displayed her natural talent by winning on debut as a two-year-old. She won the Westbury Classic (Gr. 3, 1400m) at Ellerslie, before finishing third in the NZB Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Te Aroha. And the following season won the Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1600m) at Pukekohe, then finished third in the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Trentham.

“She (Obsession) was a very genuine performer and we expect that to transfer on to her progeny,” Ellis had said.

Sporting noted broodmare sire Kaapstad (Sir Tristram), a good source of stamina, as the sire of her grand-dam, Mystery Creek, Obsession was a mare of the highest quality on the track and from the outset of her debut win it was an ability to accelerate that set her apart. She also had the tenacity to overcome adversity in her races, as displaying when winning after a topsy-turvy run in the Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes.

Before heading to Singapore, Prince Darci was broken in and educated by Te Akau Racing in New Zealand. His ability shown through in the second of three trials as a two-year-old, when unwinding strongly for fourth to subsequent Waikato Guineas (Gr. 2, 2000m) winner Wyndspelle (Iffraaj) and promising attributes were again to the fore in finishing second to Church Road (Coats Choice) who went on to be stakes placed at his second start.

“The wins keep ticking over,” said Walker, modestly reflecting the way things are going at present.

“We've had a great year, but it must come to an end shortly because every time they win and go up in grade it gets a little bit harder. But, that's the system.”

Walker went on make comment about the incredible feats of Darci Brahma, heading for his fifth title as Champion Sire in Singapore, and a stallion he knew intimately as his trainer. Darci Brahma was known for his kind temperament just as much as his tremendous ability as a racehorse and that inherited trait has aided his progeny no end.

“The last five Darci's I've sent to the races have all won (Major Tom, Prince Darci, Distinctive Darci, The Cosmos and Justice Light), which is quite incredible,” he said.

“Darci Brahma had an amazing temperament and it helps his progeny one-hundred percent. All they do here is eat and sleep, and they're easy to work and easy to train. They suit the environment and they're just no fuss horses. They're also very clean-winded horses, they don't take much work, which suits as well because it means you don't have to work them too hard to keep them fit. They're very athletic horses that take minimal work.”

Walker said that Darci Brahma (Danehill), named Champion 2YO, 3YO, and Champion Sprinter in New Zealand, and NZ Horse of the Year King's Chapel (King of Kings) were two colts he trained that remained focussed on the job at hand - racing.

“They both raced successfully at two, three, and four (years of age), and it's hard to find a colt these days that is able to maintain that performance, because normally when they get to four years old their minds turn to other things. Darci, especially, had just a great temperament,” he said.

Walker also turned his attention to Burgundy (Redoute's Choice), a three-quarter brother to Darci Brahma, whose progeny temperaments seem to be similar.

“I think with Burgundy that he would have been a gun two-year-old, but he just had things go wrong. He went shin sore and then got a virus, but otherwise he could have been really good at two, but his first crop two-year-old progeny have started off super.

“Bringer of War has been the best Burgundy I've got up here. She ran third in the Group Two the other day ($325,000 Aushorse Golden Horseshoe (Gr. 2, 1200m) on the turf) and Venus De Milo has had a third placing and they'll be much better as three-year-olds.

“They are very similar to Darci's; they've got great brains on them and that stands them in good stead in these sorts of environments when they've got great brains and temperaments to match,” Walker said.

Having won the trainers premiership in 2015 and finished third last year, Walker is 22 wins clear of his nearest rival with a tally of 61.