Winner: King's English Reigns

Back with a vengeance, King’s English (3 c Snitzel – English, by Encosta de Lago) won the $40,000 Trackside.co.nz 3YO 1100 metres on Saturday at Ellerslie. 

An impressive course winner over 1200 metres in January, after winning his Maiden by over five lengths, King’s English never really got clear in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), won by stable-mate Drops Of Gold (Hello Youmzain), on 25 April at Te Rapa, and rated a top four chance in a very strong lineup on Saturday.

Although not brilliantly away from barrier one, King’s English recovered to an ideal midfield position behind a hot three-way pace, improved ominously into the trail turning for home and pushed through with his trademark turn of foot to handsomely beat a good field.

It was another very good performance by the impeccably bred colt, a talented ride by Japanese jockey Masa Hashizume, and the colt extended his burgeoning race career to three wins from seven starts. 

On Soft5 footing, King’s English ran 1100 metres in 1:04.9, last 600m in 34.2, and held firm in betting to pay $5.20 & $2.00 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a really good effort to bounce back and win like he did and a lovely ride of Masa’s,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson, as the pair extended their trainers' premiership leading buffer to 40 wins.

“He got an economical run behind the speed and held up for the last run at them he was able to finish strongly.

“The boys at the Colt Barn have done a great job with him. He hasn’t been an easy colt to deal with at times, but full credit to them, they’ve successfully managed to keep him racing well as a colt and he’s building a very good record as a three-year-old.”

On course, Bergerson said: “It’s a shame he had a setback as a two-year-old, which prevented him racing, but he’s certainly proven to be a talented horse and beat another good field today.

“It was a good ride by Masa (Hashizume). He didn’t jump that well, but he recovered nicely, waited for the gap, and I was really impressed how he quickened when he had to and was strong to the line.”

Owned by the Te Akau 2024 Sydney Stallion Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), King’s English was purchased by David Ellis CNZM at the 2024 Inglis Easter Sale, from the draft of Newhaven Park.

“He had a few excuses last time in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes, but he’s put that behind him and turned in a very good winning performance today,” Ellis said. “I thought he ran a great race.

“He’s got a stallion’s pedigree, being by Snitzel out of the Champion Filly English, and the turn of foot that he’s showing is what breeders are looking for in the future.

“Our trainers and assistant trainers in New Zealand and Australia are doing a great job, managing the horses and leading our outstanding team really well and it’s being reflected in how competitively the horses are racing. On the whole, they’re racing very consistently (just look at our strike rate) and if they’re not winning then they’re often placing and returning good stake money.

“It’s all you can ask for as an owner to see the horses performing well and I think all the horses and team are making everyone proud of their efforts.

“I’m out on the farm feeding horses and just watched Talisker finish second in the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup, which was a really gutsy effort for second after being posted three-wide from a wide draw.”

By the four-time Champion Sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), King’s English is the second foal from very good sprinter English: Champion 2YO Filly, Champion 3YO Filly, and Champion Female Sprinting Mare in Australia, by Champion Sire and quadruple Champion Broodmare Sire Encosta de Lago (Fairy King).

English was a Group Two winner before finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) as a two-year-old, and recorded Group 1 victories in the Doomben 10,000 (1200m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m).

She was a terrifically determined sprinter that included three Group 2 wins at Randwick on her CV, and earned nearly A$3.5 million in prize money.

King’s English is bred on the same Snitzel/Encosta de Lago cross as Group 1 winner Sword Of State, whom Ellis also purchased as a yearling from the draft of Newgate Farm. 

Champion Two-Year-Old, Sword Of State is now an exciting young sire standing at Cambridge Stud, and already represented by two stakes' winners among his first crop two-year-olds.  

Following a previous win by King’s English, Ellis had said: “We’ve had a great relationship with the Kelly family, John and Charles (Newhaven Park), one of the best breeders in Australia, and he was a beautiful colt in every respect when we bought him.

“We’d bought Sword Of State, bred on the same cross, and it’s one of the best pedigrees you can buy. 

“He’s a great specimen (King’s English), lovely loose walker and has plenty of rein in his physique, which will stand by him as he matures.

“It really is a stallion’s pedigree and has all the right hallmarks of an exciting thoroughbred.”

King’s English carries a nicely balanced cross of Danzig, as the sire of Danehill on the sire line and sire of grand-dam sire Anabaa on the dam line of English. 

King’s English was strapped by Tom Murphy. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz