A son of Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino named after a former international footballer kicked another winning goal at Awapuni on Saturday.
Trained by part-owner Mike Breslin, Crouch showed he had a bright future over ground with a tenacious performance to score over 2100 metres.
The three-year-old’s namesake is Peter Crouch, who played as a striker for Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City and earned 42 caps for England.
“He was a big, tall and leggy fellow and that’s this horse’s body shape so that’s where he got his name from,” Breslin said.
“I’ve had a bit of success naming them after footballers so I went down the same road.
“I thought under saddle in the birdcage on Saturday that it was the first time I’ve seen him starting to look a bit more furnished.”
Crouch finished fourth on debut in April ahead of his maiden success at Otaki and followed up with a third placing over a middle distance before doubling his winning tally against older rivals on his home turf.
He sat in second spot and was hard ridden before the turn, but responded gallantly to the urgings of rider Chris Carmine.
“It was a good effort on Saturday and 200 metres out it looked like he might run a nice second and he’s ended up winning going away,” Breslin said.
“That could be a turning point for the horse, learning to go through the line and he’s going to keep improving.”
Breslin also gained valuable insight into the breed following a chat with the trainer of Crouch’s two-time Group 1-winning sire.
“He’s a pretty exciting horse and he’s the first Tarzino I’ve had. I can remember talking to Mick Price at the sales and he said they just click one day and start getting better,” he said.
“This horse has been a bit like that and he still doesn’t quite know how to go from cruising to sprinting yet and gets off the bit.”
Crouch may have one more outing before a break and return for a spring campaign.
“I’ll give him a let-up for a short period of time, whether that’s now or after one more run I’m not sure, I’ll have a look at him and the programs in the next few days,” Breslin said.
Crouch was bred by Victoria’s Rosemont Stud and purchased by Breslin for $20,000 out of Mapperley Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
He is out of the Black Minnaloushe mare Oya, who has produced two subsequent Tarzino fillies, and she is a half-sister to the Group 1 Wakeful Stakes winner and dual Group 1 placegetter Thunder Lady.
Tarzino’s associate sire Reliable Man was also in the winning action at Awapuni where Badgeringdawitness turned his form around over 2100 metres for his second career victory.
The Peter Lock-trained grey, who had disappointed at his previous appearance when he tailed the field home at Te Rapa, responded positively to every call of rider Lemmy Douglas to bounce back at the expense of his Rating 65 opposition.
He is raced by breeders Gerard Peterson, under his GG Equine banner, and Ron Duke and is out of the Zabeel mare Ebony And Ivory, who is from the family of the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap winner Aventador.
All seven of Ebony And Ivory’s foals to race have been successful and includes Badgeringdawitness’ stablemate and stakes placed sister She’s A Maneater.