Scrutinize Gets the Prize

Backed as if unbeatable, Scrutinize (3 c O'Reilly - Legs, by Pins) got his Derby campaign underway with an impressive win in the $20,000 Rich Hill Stud 3YO Premier 1400 metres on Saturday at Awapuni.

Paying $1.70 at tote close, Scrutinize then tightened from $14 to $8 in the fixed odds' market for the $750,000 BMW NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) on 5 March at Ellerslie.

“He's a laidback colt that is just going to keep improving the further we go,” said Jamie Richards, who co-trains the colt with Stephen Autridge.

“He needed the run before the Great Northern Guineas on New Year's Day and he'll go Avondale Guineas, Waikato Guineas, on his path to the Derby.

“It's his first trip away, he licked the bowl clean last night and we're very happy,” said Richards.

Settling last of the seven runners, standing the leader six lengths at the 600m, he tracked up nicely under Chris Johnson. Held together when levelling at the 200m, he jogged up and put paid to his rivals without urging to win by two and a quarter lengths.

It was another terrific performance from the colt purchased by David Ellis, who has looked one of the best of his age in the country, and extended his record to three wins from five starts.

Scrutinize ran the 1400 metres in 1:23.8, his last 600m in 34.5, on Dead5 footing.

“It was pretty soft in the end and he's looking for further already,” said Richards.

“He's an exciting horse and when Dave (Ellis) bought him at Karaka, he said this was his Derby colt and I'm sure the owners are going to have a hell of a ride."

Having already had the good fortune in buying his stakes' winning half-brother Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly), Ellis secured Scrutinize as a yearling from the draft of Waikato Stud at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale for $200,000 and in turn syndicated the horse to the Te Akau Scrutinize Syndicate.

“I went to Karaka looking to buy a colt for the Derby and you can't get a better pedigree than Savabeel out of Legs, one of the best staying mares we've seen in New Zealand in the last ten years,” said Ellis.

“At the sales, the colt was a little bit backward but I could see that he would grow into a lovely late two-year-old, three-year-old, and he's done just that.

“He's a colt that is looked after by Kris Shailer, who's doing a wonderful job since he's been back working for us.  I thought his gallop with Xtravagant the other day was very, very, strong, so I wasn't surprised to see him win like his did today.

“It was a striking performance. He had a fair bit on the rest, and I thought it was a really good effort by Steve and Jamie to have him ready and be forward to win over 1400 metres and he was beautifully ridden by the magic man [Chris Johnson],” said Ellis.

His dam, Legs (Pins - River Century, by Centaine), was Joint Top Filly on the 2005-06 NZ 3YO Free Handicaps. Legs recorded Group One wins in the New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m), also won the Eulogy Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m) and finished second in the Desert Gold Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m) in a career of five wins from twelve starts, and stakes of $875,428.

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