Another winning week for Tarzino and a rising sprinting star for associate sire El Roca maintained the strong pace set this season by Westbury Stud stallions.
The apples aren’t falling far from the tree for Tarzino and hot on the heels of Jungle Magnate triumphing in the G1 South Australian Derby, his undefeated stablemate Natural Mystic has also emerged as an exciting staying prospect.
Jungle Magnate has won four of his nine starts and in the wake of his Classic success, trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have confirmed the three-year-old’s sale to Hong Kong interests.
The Caulfield partnership will now look to Natural Mystic to continue his progression after a debut win over 1600 metres at Pakenham and an impressive age group victory over 2000 metres at Flemington on Saturday.
“What can I say – Tarzino is the flavour of the month, especially for us,” Kent Jnr said.
“We knew it was a big task for Natural Mystic in his second start at Flemington but he’s tough, he’s sound and fit and it was a lovely ride by Craig Newitt.”
Price purchased Natural Mystic from breeder Rosemont Stud’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale draft for A$65,000. He is a son of the unraced Pivotal mare Silver Haze, who is a half-sister to the G1 Metropolitan Handicap winner and multiple international Group 1 placegetter Seville.
“We’ve looked after him and just given him plenty of time,” Kent Jnr said. “He’s very untapped and an out and out stayer.”
Newitt, who has been aboard Natural Mystic in both of his appearances, echoed those sentiments.
“He’s a horse that from the first time I rode him had a mile and a-half all over him,” he said.
“He put them to the sword a fair way out and was really strong through the line. He’s obviously lightly raced, he’s got scope and he’s going places.”
At the other end of the distance scale is the Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-prepared Wewillrock (El Roca), who signed off his successful three-year-old career with a hollow victory at Te Rapa over 1100 metres.
Wewillrock fledgling record now boasts three wins from his seven starts and he has also placed in each of his four other appearances, including consecutive thirds in the G3 Almanzor Trophy and the G3 Cambridge Breeders Stakes.
“I think he is a very nice horse, who is very versatile as he broke 1.10 for 1200 metres when he won at Te Rapa back in December after winning his maiden at Taupo on a Heavy 9 surface,” Lowry said.
Lowry is now keen to send Wewillrock to the spelling paddock before bringing him back for a spring campaign.
“He has done a good job as a three-year-old so we might put him away as there really isn’t anything around for him over the next couple of months,” he said.
Lowry purchased Wewillrock, a grandson of the multiple stakes winner Wazawatsyn, for $35,000 out of Westbury’s draft at Karaka. He is raced by Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick with his good friends, the Hawke’s Bay-based brothers Mark and Paul Apatu.
Former Westbury stallion and multiple Group 1 producer Makfi, who successfully shuttled to the Karaka farm before his 2016 sale to Japan, continues to make his presence felt and was represented by Te Rapa winners Wordsworth and Blood Diamond.
Across the Tasman, his son The Frontman was narrowly touched off when runner-up in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup at Rosehill.
Completing a rewarding day for Westbury stallions at Te Rapa was the progressive Swiss Ace four-year-old Swiss Kitty, who added a third victory from 13 starts to his CV.