Riccarton Double - El Viento Victorious

Overcoming adversity, El Viento (4 g El Roca – Mandeville, by Hussonet) got up to prevail in the $40,000 Rating 75 1600 metres on Saturday at Riccarton.

A stylish Maiden winner that scored twice last season over 1400 metres on his home track at Matamata, El Viento drew the outside (12) and ran on from last when resuming in the Rating 75 1200 metres on 31 August at Riccarton. He subsequently picked up strongly to win a trial on 17 September at Ashburton and appeared suited stepping to a mile for the first time.

El Viento was ridden by Wiremu Pinn, who obliged earlier on the programme aboard three-year-old colt Age Of Discovery (Savabeel) to provide Mark Walker with his 2000th training success, after he edged to 1999 when Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) won overnight in the Scarborough Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) at Moonee Valley.  

An athletic individual that likes to get back and let down into his work, El Viento settled third last in a field of 13, stood the leader 10 lengths 600m out, and after opting for a rails run, only to be stopped in his tracks at the 150m, he then picked up powerfully once clear in the final stages.

Recording his third win from seven starts, El Viento has harnessed the attributes of a horse destined for Open grade and his latest effort continued to vindicate that belief.

In the race named Thank You Gordon Fulton, El Viento ran 1400 metres in 1:35.9 on Good4 footing and shortened in betting to pay $3.40 & $1.70 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a very good win by El Viento, especially after it got very ugly there at the 200m when getting on heels, but Wiremu (Pinn) rode him for luck on the inside and eventually he got some,” said Mark Walker, from the course.

“He was quite lucky to stay on his feet, let alone pick himself up and win the way he did.

“He’s a horse that Dave (Ellis) bought at the Ready to Run Sale, and it did take quite a while to teach him how to relax and breathe properly in his races.

“He’s getting there now as a four-year-old and Hunter (Durrant) and our people here at Riccarton have got the team absolutely humming.

“Now that he’s learned to settle and do things right, he can show the very good turn of foot that he has and I can see him possibly winning a nice race like TAB Mile (Gr. 3, 1600m) on the middle day of Cup Week in November, which was the old Coupland’s Bakeries Mile.”

Owned by the Te Akau Fly Like The Wind Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis), El Viento was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $95,000 at the 2022 NZB Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Westbury Stud, after breezing up in the top 20 times (10.26) when galloping prior to the sale at Te Rapa. 

“He’s a strong type of horse that finds the line and he had to be good after experiencing a check like that in the straight,” Ellis said.

“He seems to be enjoying the training environment at Riccarton, looked good winning his recent trial at Ashburton, and Mark (Walker), Sam (Bergerson), and our racing manager Reece Trumper will find some nice assignments now for him.”

Sire El Roca, by Champion Sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), keeps producing good racehorses, and already has had two Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) winners from his first crop, including Te Akau stable-mate Romancing The Moon and before her, Travelling Light.

His dam Mandeville was a winner over 1600 metres in Australia, and is now doing a great job as a broodmare producing nine individual winners of 24 races. 

Dam-sire Hussonet (Mr. Prospector) was a highly respected sire of over 20 Champion gallopers worldwide, while further enhancing his status as a very influential broodmare sire. 

El Viento carries a Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) cross through the dam line of Fastnet Rock and dam side of Mandeville. 

El Viento was strapped by Amelia Southworth. 

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz