Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh won the Gr.3 Jennian Homes Wellington Stakes (1600m) for the fifth time at Otaki on Sunday with emerging talent Ammirati (Savabeel), but this was a win unlike any other.
Marsh had previously taken out the three-year-old feature with Lucia Valentina (2013), Crown Prosecutor (2018), Scorpz (2019) and Zee Falls (2020).
He went into Sunday confident of a bold showing from Ammirati, having commented during the week that the Savabeel gelding had “taken the next step” since his last-start maiden success at Rotorua. But Marsh could never have expected what unfolded.
Jockey Matt Cartwright put Ammirati in a handy position in fifth, racing on the outside of fellow last-start winner and race favourite Road To Paris. Those two horses were travelling better than any others coming around the home turn, and they seemed set to fight out the finish.
Road To Paris produced the sharper turn of foot of the two and went to a clear lead early in the run home, with Ammirati taking a little longer to move through his gears and build his momentum.
Ammirati was in full flight coming into the final 100m and gaining ground, although he was running out of time with Road To Paris still the best part of a length in front of him and going well.
But just when it looked like that would be the final finishing order, Road To Paris shied at the finish line and veered sharply to the right. He dislodged his rider Masa Hashizume and also carted Ammirati sideways and all but stopped him in his tracks.
Tulsa King and Landman were both finishing strongly and almost swamped the staggering Ammirati, but he held on by the skin of his teeth to win by two noses.
“It’s a funny old game,” Marsh’s stable representative and bloodstock manager Dylan Johnson said.
“It was a good performance from the horse. He was under a bit of pressure from the 600m, but he just kept finding and he was actually starting to pick the favourite up in that last little bit before everything happened. It’s an unusual way to win the race, but it’ll go in the book.”
Ammirati has now had six starts for two wins and $73,305 in stakes for owners Hawridge Developments Ltd, Jamieson Park Ltd and JML Bloodstock Ltd.
Ammirati is Marsh’s third Wellington Stakes winner in the JML Bloodstock colours, following on from Lucia Valentina and Crown Prosecutor. The latter went on to win the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie a few months later, and Ammirati is rated a $21 chance to complete the same double in the $1.25 million classic on March 7.
“JML Bloodstock have been unbelievable supporters of the stable, and it’s been great to pick up a couple of Group Three wins for them in the last week or so with Ardalio and now this horse,” Johnson said.
“Ammirati seems to be getting better and better. Stephen and I mentioned to Lib (Petagna) and Bruce (Perry) after his last win that he’s potentially the type of horse that could get through to a Derby. The way he raced today and kept coming at them late, it gives us confidence to carry on that way.
“It’s just great to have success in these colours. They put so much into New Zealand racing, and it’s nice to see the people that really stump up get the returns.”
Ammirati is by champion sire Savabeel out of the winning Pins mare Happily, who is a half-sister to the Marsh-trained Listed Wellesley Stakes (1000m) winner Exuberant. The third dam McHappy is a half-sister to Scandinavia, the granddam of Black Caviar and All Too Hard.
Waikato Stud offered Ammirati in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, where Bruce Perry Bloodstock bought him for $450,000. Waikato Stud has a full-brother catalogued as Lot 467 for Book 1 of Karaka 2026.
Hashizume and Road To Paris escaped injury in Sunday’s alarming incident, with Hashizume cleared to ride in the final race on the Otaki card.
