Weaponry Fires Back to Back

Building a record around his trademark toughness, Weaponry (4 g Declaration of War - Cat Shmea, by Felix the Cat) recorded his fifth win from 10 starts for the Te Akau Weaponry Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) in the $30,000 Central ITM Rating 82 1600 metres on Saturday at Awapuni.

A Southland Guineas' (Listed, 1600m) winner at the end of his three-year-old campaign, Weaponry had lifted stylishly to win the Rating 72 1400 metres on 13 December at Tauranga, and sought revenge after being claimed on the line by subsequent winner Sinarahma (Darci Brahma) two starts ago at Awapuni.

Content to race three wide near the pace, on a track offering better footing away from the rail, Weaponry appeared to travel best when straightening for the run home but rider Opie Bosson had to keep him up to the mark in order to deliver. 

“He was a bit keen for the first 200 metres, but then he came back to me and dropped the bit,” Bosson said. “I hit the front a bit soon and he started gawking around, but we know he does that, and I had to really keep his mind on the job.”

In a race offering only two place dividends, Weaponry returned $3.20 & $2.00 after running the 1600 metres in 1:36.1 on dead footing. 

“He's a bit of a goof, to be fair,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “But, to the horse's credit when they came at him he really kept finding and it was a good strong ride from Opie. I love it when he lifts them over the line like that. 

“He didn't get any cover, but once he got half a length back off the leader he relaxed well. He's a stakes winner from last season, above average, and we'll just keep working him through the grades. 

“He's by a very good stallion, in Declaration of War, and Dave (Ellis) didn't pay a lot for him.”

Weaponry was purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud. Inbred to immortal sire Northern Dancer, he is from the first crop of a stallion that was very impressive when winning the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Royal Ascot, and doing an enormous job at stud.

“The horse was bred by friends of ours, Shelley Frost and her late mother (Raywyn Ramage) at Braided River Thoroughbreds,” Ellis said. “They have been brilliant people to train for, as too is Curraghmore Stud, who have always supported us with horses to train and do they a great job preparing horses for the sales.”

Leading the Trainers' Premiership with 65 wins for the season, Richards has been on roll with 28 wins in the past six weeks at a strike rate of 3.1. 

“It's incredible, really, and those statistics are very hard to beat,” Ellis said.

“It's not easy to get these sorts of results. You've got to have horses with ability and we're lucky at Te Akau Racing because we've got the best track work riders, best staff, best facilities, and we're trying to buy the best horses we can. 

“It's not just New Zealand, but Mark (Walker) is on fire with our team in Singapore. He's just ended the year winning his third premiership and with three wins on the first day of their new season (Jan. 1) he contributed to us having 10 wins in 48 hours.

“It's a terrific time for everyone involved with Te Akau. Our owners are enjoying the success at a time of year when everyone can celebrate the victories and its great reward for all the staff that put in so much hard work.

“We've got the yearling sales coming up at the end of January and the success we're having gives us confidence to be buying some beautiful horses that in time will become our future winners.”

Weaponry was strapped by Jamie Richards. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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