Super Saturday - Win No.3 Markus Aurelius Awesome

A wise decision by trainer Jamie Richards paid dividends on Saturday at Riccarton, when Markus Aurelius (4 g Ghibellines - Evancho, by Shinzig) won the $22,500 NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series Rating 65 1400 metres.

After getting home with a big finish for second in the Rating 65 1400-metre race three weeks ago at Riccarton, Richards elected to keep Markus Aurelius fresh for the corresponding race, rather than step him up in distance, and it proved bang on.

Looking at the calendar, Richards proffered that Markus Aurelius could graduate to the Rating 65 1600 metres or Rating 74 1800 metres on Saturday 24 October at Riccarton, depending on the outcome, and ultimately look for a nice 2000-metre race during Cup Week in November. With the first part of the plan coming to fruition, he could now step up to 1800 metres in three weeks.

“He didn't have the best trip in transit, to be fair, but it was a good tough win,” Richards said. “The team in the South kept him nice and fresh for another 1400-metre race. He's a horse that is improving with racing, and improving with the trip away.”

Ridden by Te Akau apprentice Chelsea Burdan, who made it back-to-back wins in the last two races on the programme, Markus Aurelius was three wide with cover before ranging into the home straight and he sustained a strong gallop in centre track after gaining advantage a furlong out. 

“Chelsea (Burdan) had him going strongly to the line and her two-kilo claim to 57.5kgs was certainly at big help, Richards said. “It was good for the team down there to get a winner on what was a bit of a frustrating day. There is a good ownership team in the horse and I received a really nice video afterwards from a group that were going absolutely ballistic, so that was great to see, great for racing, and the next generation coming through.”

Purchased by David Ellis for $13,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale, from the draft of White Robe Lodge, and owned by the Te Akau Great Southern Man Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn-Fenton Ellis), Markus Aurelius followed two strong performances with a super gallop to win over 1400 metres in March at Matamata, and his record now stands at two wins, two seconds, and a third, from six starts. 

He has a lovely cross of the most successful sire of all time: Danehill (349 stakes winners), through the dam side of Ghibellines and as the sire of dam sire Shinzig. His dam, Evancho (Shinzig), won four times to 2100 metres, suggesting Markus Aurelius could also excel up in distance. 

“We had a couple of favourites there today where things just didn't go our way, but I thought it was a really good win by Markus Aurelius,” Ellis said.

“The Anderton's at White Robe Lodge in Wingatui have bred some sensational staying type horses for generations and although not from one of their old families he is nonetheless typical of their breed.

“It was good effort by Chelsea (Burdan). She's growing in confidence all the time, riding winners regularly, and has the makings of a really good jockey in the future.”

A first season sire at White Robe Lodge (est. 1956), Ghibellines was a highly thought of colt in Australia, racing only in stakes races, winning the Todman Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) as a two-year-old on good ground at Rosehill. His sire, Darley stallion Shamardal (Giant's Causeway), has a fantastic pedigree, with a Mr. Prospector influence of speed and versatility, and proved himself as a sire of both juvenile and classic excellence and 43 Group 1 winners. 

 Markus Aurelius was strapped by Lydia Truesdale.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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