Riccarton Treble - Malmaison Magic Again

Ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale next week (20 & 21 Nov.) at Karaka, sales graduate Malmaison (4 g Darci Brahma – Altai Rose, by Bernardini) won the $65,000 Jenny Laming Memorial Rating 75 1200 metres on New Zealand Cup Day (16 Nov.) at Riccarton.

After making it three wins from his last four starts with a sustained finish in the Rating 75 1200 metres on 26 October at Riccarton, Malmaison, a very consistent galloper, remained in the same grade and rated a top three chance despite being up two kilos to carry 58kg.

Ridden by visiting Australian jockey Josh Parr, who combined with stable-mate Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) to win the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas in the race beforehand, Malmaison settled beyond midfield in a competitive affair, tracked a path nearer the inside turning for home, and finished strongly to snatch a half neck victory over stable-mate Insatiable (All Too Hard).

“On an improving horse, I was able to help him through the worst (rain-affected) part of the track which is from about the 500m to the 300m, and then able to come out of that section and ask for a turn of foot,” Parr said.

“It was a really good win. He’s got a tendency to travel too keenly, but today with the speed on I was able to be somewhat negative out of the barrier on him and it gave him a chance to settle.”

On Soft7 footing that raced well for the third time in a week during the Cup Carnival, Malmaison ran 1200 metres in 1:10.7 and paid $4.60 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was a really good ride of Josh Parr’s,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson. 

“He’s certainly been a work in progress, but the penny is finally starting to drop. He’s relaxing better in his races and he’s got a really good turn of foot when he does relax and breathe well.

“It’s taken a bit of patience by all our good track riders to get him to this stage and really unwind him, and Hunter (Durrant) and the team have just got him to another level at our South Island base at Riccarton.

“He’s another really nice horse that Dave (Ellis) bought out of the Ready to Run Sale, and it’s always satisfying when we train winning progeny by Darci Brahma – one of stable favourites.”

On course, Bergerson said: “He’s quite a handy horse and could always gallop. He hasn’t been that easy to handle, so, again, a massive thank you to the team at home (Matamata) and down here, and he’s starting to put it together now. 

“He’s developing all the time and, geez, he didn’t look the winner halfway down the straight but he really sprinted the last bit.

“It’s obviously awesome to have a jockey of Josh’s calibre over here riding for us and he’s transferring his Australian form to New Zealand.

“By Darci Brahma (five Group One wins), he was a fantastic racehorse for Te Akau and we’ve had a lot of his progeny through the barn, and this horse is continuing to improve.”

Owned by Te Akau In Full Bloom Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Malmaison breezed up in the top 20 times (10.25) when galloping at Te Rapa, and subsequently purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $150,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud. 

Ellis has a wonderful record buying horses at Ready to Run Sales, including Group One winners Gingernuts (Iffraaj), Hall Of Fame (Savabeel), and Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle), and once again looking forward to the upcoming sale.

“It was great to quinella the race and while Malmaison is a very progressive type of horse, I also thought Insatiable ran a fantastic race too,” Ellis said.

“We always get a big thrill out of winning with the progeny of Darci Brahma, who I bought as a yearling at Karaka. 

“Our Ready to Run purchases from the last few years have been going really well and we’ll be trying to buy some more nice horses next week at Karaka. People are welcome to get in touch prior to the sale, or come and see us at the sales.

Multiple Champion Stallion Darci Brahma (Danehill) has sired over 1900 winners: 96 stakes winners, including 16 Group One, the likes of Super Easy, Catalyst, Gust Of Wind, Nashville, Kahma Lass, Recite, Risque, Irish Fling, and many other gifted and hardy thoroughbreds.

Darci Brahma himself won the 2000 Guineas among five Group One victories which included the T. J. Smith Stakes (1600m) in Brisbane, as a two-year-old, and the Telegraph Handicap (1200m). 

Dam-sire Bernardini (A. P. Indy) is doing a good job at stud and became the youngest stallion ever to reach the mark of 50 stakes winners as a broodmare sire in May 2021.

Malmaison has an international pedigree on his dam-side, with third dam Tamnia (Green Desert) a stakes winner and Group One placed in Europe, before leaving 11 foals of which 10 raced, and the family of dual Group Two winner and multiple stakes winner Son Cesio (Zafeen). 

Malmaison was strapped by Talib Hussain. 

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