Season Review: Cup Success for Leaderboard

With the 2022/23 record-breaking season now concluded, we continue our review of our 34 Group/Listed winners, amongst our 203 season winners ... an upset victory, seriously relished, in the time honoured Wellington Cup just days after our seventh successive Karaka 2YO win ...

Outsider Leaderboard (8 g Street Cry – Flower Fairy, by Dynaformer) pulled off a terrific victory in the $300,000 NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (Gr. 3, 3200m) on 28 January at Trentham.

Third and fifth, respectively, in the New Zealand Cup (Gr. 3, 3200m), Leaderboard recorded his most recent victory in the New Zealand St Leger (Listed, 2600m) last March at Trentham, and although finishing 12^th in the Marton Cup (Listed, 2200m) on the same course three weeks earlier his staying prowess carried the day. 

Ridden by Irishman Joe Doyle (26), who commenced here (NZ) in November and already recorded feature success aboard Devastate (Vadamos) in the Wellington Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m), Leaderboard was no further back than seventh before cruising into contention from the 800m and quickened best of all on the outskirts of the track.

“He felt great during the week,” said Doyle, who rode Leaderboard in an exhibition gallop between races at Matamata. “We knew we needed the rain to come, but thankfully it did and it was pretty straightforward, the race.

“Anytime they (Te Akau) have a runner they always have a chance. You know the horse is going to be fit and in the best condition it can be.”

On rain-affected footing that downgraded to Heavy10 following race four, Leaderboard ran the two miles (3200m) in 3:33.0 and drifted in betting to pay $50.30 & $9.50 on the NZ TAB tote.

His sire Street Cry (Machiavellian) also left Winx, world record holder of 25 Group One races, Champion US mare Zenyatta, Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, and Melbourne Cup winner Shocking, so stamina runs in the blood and Leaderboard has his share. 

Owned by Fortuna Leaderboard Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), Leaderboard was purchased in October 2018 at the Tattersalls Sale in U.K., and following seven wins has earnings of $340,000.

“I love Mark Walker as a trainer. He constantly thinks about his horses and with Leaderboard, since he ran here last time, he’d given him some dressage, did interval training, put him over a few tyres, galloped him, just to get his head in the right place. 

“Mark said the horse was absolutely fit, but just needed a wet track. So as the rain started to tumble yesterday it lifted the confidence and certainly a few of us got on and had a nice collect.”

Leaderboard ended his 22/23 season with a career tally of 46 starts with 7 wins and 20 other placings, earning $343,843.