Saturday Double - Power Rules

Stakes' placed Balance Of Power (4 g Almanzor – Respin, by Power) recorded a strong second-up victory in the $18,500 Rating 65 1600 metres at the Thames Jockey Club meeting on Saturday at Te Aroha.

Displaying ability when runner-up in the Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at just his second start, Balance Of Power resumed this season with a strong finish for third in the Rating 65 1400 metres on 20 December at Matamata, appeared suited stepping to a mile, had weight relief to 56.5kg, and rated a top three chance.

Ridden by Ace Lawson-Carroll (a2), in good form for the stable and registered an impressive win aboard Egyptian Queen (Zoustar) on 21 December at Te Rapa, Balance Of Power followed the pattern of Nigella Lane (Niagara), who impressively won the previous event, Thames Cup (1600m), from a position outside the leader.

Drawn barrier 10, Balance Of Power worked across to sit second, levelled up in the straight, immediately found a kick when asked to extend at the 250m and stayed strong to win handsomely.

“I slowly worked forward on him, didn’t use too much energy to get there, and that’s where they’d been winning from,” Lawson-Carroll said.

“He went up to the leader easily and he was strong through the line, too.”

On footing that remained Soft5 throughout the day, Balance Of Power ran 1600 metres in 1:36.9, last 600m in 36.2, and paid $7.30 & $2.30 on the NZ TAB tote.

“He has been building up to a performance like that for quite awhile and it was a good, positive, ride from Ace,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson.

“He’s over a lot of growing pains that he had last season as a three-year-old, although he still managed to win a race really well over 1400 metres, but so much stronger and mature now.

“Hopefully the win will give him confidence and he can go on to prove competitive at a higher level.

“He certainly has the ability to win more races and it will be interesting to see what level he can get to this time round.”

Owned by J O Anderson, DJ Bloodstock Partnership, M K Durling, GN & CM Bloodstock Ltd, J F & Mrs P L Hepburn, C W Kwok, R Lau, T N Simpson, Te Akau Stud & Westonlea Bloodstock, he was bought by David Ellis CNZM for $300,000, at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud.

A lovely type of horse, correct and a good mover, with plenty of substance, Balance Of Power is by one of the best credentialed stallions shuttled to New Zealand in the last decade. Almanzor (Wotton Bassett) was European Champion Three-Year-Old and claimed the same titles in Ireland and France. He now stands permanently at Cambridge Stud.

From his first crop of yearlings, in 2021 at Karaka, Ellis purchased Dynastic for Te Akau 2021 Stallion Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), rewarding everyone at his second start when becoming the sixth of seven consecutive Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winners for the stable.

In addition, Dynastic provided the first Southern Hemisphere victory for Almanzor (Wootton Bassett).

Te Akau has also had success this season with Almanzor mare Mehzebeen, when she recorded a winning double in the Metropolitan Trophy (Listed, 2600m) and New Zealand Cup (Gr. 3, 3200m) during Cup Week in November at Riccarton.

While last season Nucleozor (Almanzor) won all three starts, including the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m), on his way to becoming South Island Champion Two-Year-Old, before selling to Hong Kong, and his stable-mate and sister Qali Al Farrasha placed in both the Sunline Vase (Gr. 3, 2100m) and New Zealand Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m).

The dam of Balance Of Power, Respin, by talented sire Power (Oasis Dream), displayed very good racing attributes in a short career, which included winning the NZB Insurance Stakes (Listed, 1600m). She is a half-sister to Dame Margo Fonteyn (High Chaparral), trained by Te Akau and also a mare with good ability.

Third dam, Dancing Forever, impressed winning four times up to 2000 metres and showed plenty of athleticism and a great turn of foot. Proving herself as a broodmare, she left six individual winners of 13 races.

On course to witness the victory, owners Jim & Pauline Hepburn accepted the spoils from former Te Aroha Jockey Club President Wayne Lowen, who assured them horses that win on the course go on to win more races.

“We won’t hold you to that,” Hepburn replied. “But thank you very much to the Jockey Club for putting the race on and it’s good to back racing again at Te Aroha. I think it’s a very good course.

“It’s also good to see (assistant trainer) Nicole Shailer here looking after the team today. This horse has been hiding in the bushes, but he’s come out to win today.”

Balance Of Power was strapped by Mallesh Saddari.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz