Promising four-year-old El Viento had to overcome severe trouble in the running to make a successful return to competition at Riccarton on Saturday.
The Gerry Harvey-bred son of Westbury Stud stallion El Roca had been freshened since last racing and was also a trial winner at Ashburton ahead of resuming against the Rating 75 milers.
Prepared by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, El Viento settled well back in the running before improving near the rail across the top for rider Wiremu Pinn.
However, they nearly came to grief in a skirmish 150 metres from home before the gelding picked himself up and drove strongly to the line for his third win from seven starts.
“I thought we were in a lot of trouble when one stopped quickly in front of me and my horse did well to sprint again, he was very impressive,” Pinn said.
“He feels like a horse who will get up over a trip eventually, he’s come back bigger and stronger.”
Offered at Karaka by Westbury, El Viento was knocked down for $95,000 to Te Akau’s David Ellis at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
He is a son of the Hussonet mare Mandeville, whose nine foals to race have all been successful and she has an El Roca juvenile colt and is due to foal again to Swiss Ace.
Mandeville is from the family of the unbeaten multiple Group 1-winning champion mare Black Caviar and her half-brother All Too Hard who won four times at the elite level before a successful stud career.
