Rotorua Double - Supreme Khan Rules

Presented in terrific order, Supreme Khan (5 g Mongolian Khan - Angelica Hall, by Guillotine) won the $14,000 T V Moore Rating 75 1560 metres on 30 November at Rotorua.

Appearing to have flourished since racing only 12 days earlier, when sustaining his finish for third in the Rating 75 1400 metres at New Plymouth, Supreme Khan had relief to 58kg, courtesy of in-form Te Akau apprentice Niranjan Parmar.  Having recorded two of his three wins on soft footing, the only question that remained was his appreciation of the course at his first attempt.

Aided by a patient ride, in which he tracked a line of four inside the 600m, Supreme Khan was presented to challenge at the 400m and establishing a two-length buffer mid-straight was enough to get him home.

Out of the winner's circle since May last year, but having placed five times in the interim, Supreme Khan ran 1560 metres in 1:42.3, last 600m in 39.8, on footing downgraded to Heavy9, and paid $4.70 & $2.30 on the NZ TAB tote.

“He's always been a consistent horse and it was good to get another win with him in pretty testing conditions,” said trainer Mark Walker, regarding heavy rain around race time.

“It was a lovely ride by Parmar to save ground at the top of the straight by coming between horses and then angling wider for better footing.”

Owned by Shaw's Property Holdings, Te Akau Supreme Khan Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) & Tale to Tell Syndicate, he was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $160,000, from the draft of Windsor Park Stud, at the 2019 Karaka Book 1 Sale.

From a gifted family, Supreme Khan is from the first crop of Champion Three-Year-Old, subsequent dual Horse of the Year, and Champion Stayer Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor), who recorded Group One wins in the NZ Derby, ATC Derby, and Caulfield Cup.

Te Akau also trained his impressive dual winning dam Angelica Hall (Guillotine), who, in addition to Supreme Khan, has left dual stakes' winner Angelica Miss (Savabeel) in Australia.

His grand-dam, Greta Hall (Kaapstad), who won three stakes' races, is a half-sister to Epsom Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Toorak Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Golden Sword (Kaapstad), also Madam Valeta (Palace Music) the dam of Windsor Park stallion Falkirk (Tale Of The Cat), and Mulan Princess (Kaapstad) the dam of Australian Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m) winner Royal Descent (Danehill).

His third dam, broodmare sensation Lovenvain (Vain), ensures it one of the best families for Windsor Park Stud.

It was yet another successful day for nine-time Champion Trainer Mark Walker, after an additional victory by Kai (Ocean Park), seconds by Prismatic (Savabeel) and Sternland (Astern), denying Singapore Champion Apprentice Hakim Kamaruddin a winning debut in NZ, and third by Our Milly Bee (Merchant Navy).

Supreme Khan was strapped by Katija Cherie.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz