Well-related four-year-old Navigator ran up to his pedigree to add to his record with a strong performance over 1200 metres to put away a competitive line-up of Rating 75 gallopers at Trentham on Saturday.
The strapping son of El Roca tucked in behind the pace in third spot before striding to the front 200 metres from home and comfortably held his rivals at bay.
El Roca’s associate stallion Reliable Man was also in the thick of the action at Pukekohe where his progressive five-year-old Chattahoochee was victorious.
Navigator’s trainer Cody Cole had been bullish about Navigator’s chances, especially with the softening of the track.
“He was unknown at the 1200 metres and when the rain came on Thursday, we were confident, it slowed a few of them down,” the Matamata trainer said.
“He’s got plenty of ability and he’s a big horse and we’ve spaced his races and looked after him. That will be his last run of the season.”
Navigator has fashioned the tidy record of three wins and six placings from nine appearances and was again partnered by Ryan Elliot.
“He’s a big, goofy horse so it was nice to see him do things right, although he still floated around a bit when he got to the front,” he said.
Navigator was offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Westbury Stud on behalf of breeders Marriott Thoroughbreds, who remained in the ownership group after he was knocked down to Cole for $110,000.
He is the last foal of the late Stravinsky mare Joiya, who won on three occasions and did a fine job at stud with all eight of her foals to race successfully.
She left the Listed Ryder Stakes winner Niki Piki Milo, whose half-sister Bella Gioia finished runner-up in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas while Bella Mente was also placed at the top level in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Enrico completed a winning double at Trentham for El Roca when the Illone Kelly-trained five-year-old won the closing Rating 75 event over 1600 metres.
Rider Sam Weatherley camped in behind the pace on the rail and took the short way home for a comfortable victory.
At Pukekohe, Chattahoochee produced a gallant display to down his Rating 75 rivals over 1600 metres for the fifth win of his 11-start career from Debbie Sweeney’s stable.
Bred by The Oaks Stud, Chattahoochee is raced by Brian Black and Lisa Anderson and is out of the late Darci Brahma mare Auspicious, a half-sister to multiple black-type winner Kelantan and the Group 2 placegetter Skysoblue.