Yourdeel Too Tough in Sistema

The Informant reports:

A wide and keen passage through the early stages was still not enough
to blunt a determined Yourdeel as he claimed the first Group One
two-year-old race of the season at Ellerslie today.

Yourdeel
jumped from the outside gate as the odds-on favourite in the Sistema
Stakes and with Rainbow Dash charging through to take the early lead, he
proved a handful for his rider Bosson as he attempted to match strides
with the filly.

Whereas Rainbow Dash stayed down towards the
inside rail, Bosson maintained a wide run in the hope of better ground,
but after turning for home with a narrow lead, he looked a sitting duck.

Bavella
threw out the most likely challenge as Leith Innes angled her to the
very outside and she hit the front with 250 metres to run. Inside her,
however, Yourdeel was still in for the fight, as was Aretha, while
Aalaalune was looming with her trademark late finish.

All the
while Bosson was waiting and waiting, and just as Aalaalune threatened a
big result for trainer Jacob McKay and rider Reese Jones, Yourdeel
fought back and wrested back the lead by a short head, with another long
head to Aretha.

It was a classic Bosson ride, one that took him
equal with Hall of Fame jockey Lance O'Sullivan on 62 New Zealand Group
One wins. For winning trainer Jamie Richards it was a third Sistema
Stakes victory from the last four editions.

“He pulled so hard
early that I thought it would be too much for him in this ground,”
Bosson said. “He wasn't going to be beaten though, he's just a good
tough horse.”

Yourdeel, a son of New Zealand Horse of the Year
Dundeel, is owned by a three-way partnership comprising Horowhenua
horseman Chris Rutten, who selected him as a $100,000 Karaka yearling,
John Norwood and Rod Preston.

This was a second Sistema (Diamond)
Stakes win for Rutten and Norwood after their 2008 winner Vespa, who had
won the Karaka Million at his previous start. Yourdeel's effort to
deadheat for third was one of eye-catching runs of this year's Karaka
Million, and he franked that form with a runaway win in last month's
Waikato Slipper at Matamata.

Richards labelled one more target
this season for the showy bay, the Gr. 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes
at the end of the month, with his long-term goal next spring the New
Zealand 2000 Guineas.

While having to bow to Yourdeel, the connections of both placegetters were thrilled with their charges' efforts.

“At
one stage I thought it was ours but in the end the other horse was too
strong,” said Aalaalune's trainer Jacob McKay. “It was still a top run,
I'm very proud of her.”

Rider Reese Jones felt that inexperience
ultimately cost Aalaalune. “When she hit the front - something she's
never done before - she got a bit lost and the other horse got up under
her,” he said. “You still have to be happy with how well she went.”

Matt
Cameron was just as complimentary summing up the close third by
Matamata Breeders' Stakes winner Aretha. “She was in for the fight but
when things got a bit tight towards the end she just backed off a
little, which might have cost her,” he said. “No complaints though, a
Group One placing to go with a Group Two win is huge.”

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