Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Waitak (Proisir) was a class above his rivals in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie on Saturday, completing a spring Group One double in the early stages of what might be a career-defining season.
The son of Proisir has been a Group One horse since his two-year-old days, when he ran third in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in April of 2022. He went on to be a Listed winner at three, along with placings in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and a fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
But what Waitak has been able to do since then has cemented his reputation as one of New Zealand’s most versatile weight-for-age performers. He flew home from nowhere to win the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe as a four-year-old, and after a frustrating run of bad luck for most of his five-year-old season last summer, got back into the winning groove with autumn double in the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) and Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m).
Waitak has picked up this spring where he left off in the autumn. After a luckless 11th when he resumed in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m), he has now gone back-to-back in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa and now the $550,000 Livamol Classic.
“He really deserves this,” said Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. “He was so unlucky last season with unsuitable track conditions and the way his races were being run. Today was just beautiful. He really showed what he can do.”
Again ridden by his Howden Mile-winning jockey Craig Grylls, Waitak settled into a perfect position in fifth place and all by himself as Khan Hunter showed the way through the first half of the race.
Ellerslie specialist El Vencedor threw down the gauntlet and surged into a clear lead coming down the side of the track, but Grylls never panicked. He gave Waitak all the time he needed to warm into his work, then set his sights on El Vencedor in the straight.
A four-length deficit was quickly dissolved and Waitak powered into the lead. He bounded away to win by five and a quarter lengths. El Vencedor finished second, a length and a quarter in front of Sharp ‘N’ Smart.
It was the 20th win at Group One level for Grylls – fittingly at the same venue where he rode his first one, Pasta Post, in the 2008 Easter Handicap (1600m).
“Any Group One win is great, but this is special – especially to do it for Wexford, who have been such great supporters of mine,” Grylls said.
“This horse is just a marvel and it was an incredible win today. He’s taken a lot of improvement out of his last-start win at Te Rapa.
“The speed was on from the 600m and I had to get on my bike a little bit earlier than I might have expected, but he quickened so well. He got up alongside El Vencedor, then changed legs, quickened again and got away from him.”
Waitak has now had 34 starts for eight wins, nine placings and more than $1.5 million in stakes. He was bred by the late Colin Devine and is raced by his wife Jill.
Saturday’s win capped a notable double for the Devine family, who also had a win at Matamata yesterday with Waitak’s talented full-brother Crackercol.
“To have the winner yesterday and now today is a huge result for Team Devine,” Scott said.
“It means a lot to our camp too. It’s a massive team effort and it’s been a big build-up to this carnival.
“The team’s been racing well, and you only hope you can keep building on that and getting results like today.
“The team was so confident in Waitak all week. Craig got off him last weekend and just said the horse had improved since Te Rapa. You try and keep your confidence levels measured, but the horse is just going so well.
“Today he got into his rhythm on his own, and then he really showed what he can do. He’s got a beautiful gallop on him, and he’s just come of age so we’re thrilled.
“When the favourite took off at the 600m, we knew we’d had an economical run. When he gets on his own and is able to relax, he can really quicken.
“He wasn’t being bothered by anything with 1000m to go and we knew he was going to finish strongly. It was brilliant to watch.
“He’s a horse that keeps getting better and better. He’s a beautiful sound horse and goes in any ground. We’re just very fortunate to have him in our stable.”
Scott identified the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham on December 6 and the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day as Waitak’s next likely targets.
“We’re pretty keen to get him down to Wellington for the Captain Cook,” he said. “He can have a bit of time away between now and then – he’ll be out in the farm on Monday for a break.
“Hopefully he’ll be back here Boxing Day, and then through the summer.”
Waitak’s winning margin was among the widest seen in a Group One race in New Zealand in the last 30 years. It equalled Mustang Valley’s runaway victory by the same margin in the 2022 Livamol Classic on a heavy track at Hastings.
The only larger margins in the last three decades were Xtravagant’s eight-length demolitions in the 2015 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and 2016 Waikato Sprint (1400m), plus Lizzie L’Amour’s victory by five and a half lengths in the 2018 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).
