It would appear that Chris Waller has found the winning formula for Asterix (Tavistock). The former New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner and now rising eight-year-old has faced the starter just 29 times and this season he has put together three stakes successes, taking his career earnings beyond $1.4 million.
In a significant turnaround from three woeful efforts last spring, Asterix found the winner’s circle in The Beauford (2300m) at Newcastle last November. This autumn he secured back-to-back stakes wins at Randwick and Gosford before a couple of outs in Brisbane, returning to form in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Cup (Gr 3, 2400m).
The Eagle Farm stayers’ feature only drew six runners but Asterix had to be at the top of his game to get the win. Last into the straight, he levelled up at the 200m to form a line of three then stuck on best as one might expect from a Derby winner. Post race, rider Tim Clark believed that getting the horse to settle was key. “I felt it was really important to get the first two-thirds of the race right. If I could do that, I knew he’d take care of the rest,” said Clark.
He remains the best of four winners from Mourasana (Shirocco), a Listed-placed winner at 2400 metres in France whose half-sister, Mouramara (Kahyasi) is the dam of Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Mourayan (Alhaarth). There is an abundance of stout blood in Asterix’s veins. Given his comparatively light career a tilt at the Melbourne spring cups could be on the cards although he is yet to win racing anti-clockwise.
Asterix is a graduate of the 2020 NZB Ready To Run Sale, purchased out of Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud draft by agent Bruce Perry for $450,000.
Sweet spot
The sole black-type race in New Zealand this past weekend resulted in a semi-blowout for six-year-old mare Churchillian (Churchill) who not only relished the cut in the ground but also relished the 1400 metres, her favourite distance.
Although six years of age Churchillian has not been overraced having faced the starter 27 times for 11 wins, seven of which have been at 1400 metres. Arguably her best win was Trentham’s 2024 Group 3 Anniversary Handicap over 1600 metres which she landed by a head. However, her style of racing lends itself to 200 metres less evidenced by her two recent defeats at the longer distance.
Samantha Collett put the mare in front early but the lead was never more than a half-length to the 600m. Collett also ensured that Churchillian would not cover any extra ground, hugging the fence into the straight. Kicking away from the 300m there was never any doubt about the winner. “She just has that zest for life, which she showed today and when I asked her for some more gas she dug really deep,” said Collett.
A $100,000 purchase by agent Paul Willetts, Churchillian has banked more than $400,000 and possesses the most attractive bloodlines, as discussed by Kiwi Chronicles after her win in the Rotorua Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) last month. She is going to make a great addition to the New Zealand Stud Book upon retirement.
Going the distance
One of the more impressive efforts at Rosehill last Saturday was the three lengths win by King Pedro (Eminent) in the Benchmark 90 Stayers Cup (2400m). He looks like a Cups horse in the making. Given that the track was rated a Soft 6 his winning time of 2:30.91 was notable as was the final 600m run in 36.16. Those are good stayers numbers.
Trainer Tom Charlton agrees: “He’s a really nice stayer. He will definitely make a better grade, and a good grade, in time. He is still quite an unfurnished horse, so there is plenty more to come.”
In New Zealand, under the name of Don Pedro, the gelding was last seen running home fairly for sixth in the 2025 New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m), his sixth start. His five starts prior included a Tauherenikau win over 2050 metres and four placings.
Nine starts in Australia have brought a win at Gosford over 2100 metres last November and three second placings at Randwick or Rosehill, where, on June 13, he was nutted after a chequered run and a bold finish. The jump from Benchmark 78 to Benchmark 90 for Saturday’s Cup would have been the major concern but he proved too strong when clearing out over the last 150 metres, handling the 2400 metres with ease, taking his earnings to $255,000.
Although Eminent (Frankel) landed a Group 3 win over the mile at Newmarket, in the Craven Stakes, his best win was the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (2000m) at Deauville. Twice he recorded Group 1 placings, in Rosehill’s Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and the Irish Champion Stakes (1m 2f) yet his fourth, beaten two lengths in the Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) of 2017 won by Wings Of Eagles (Pour Moi), might be his premier career performance.
That preference for a staying trip seems to have been transmitted to his stock who are clearly not sprinters. Eminent, domiciled at Brighthill Stud near Cambridge, has sired almost 50 individual winners yet, so far, no stakes winners. King Pedro looks to have the best chance to break that duck as he is being set for the July 16 Grafton Cup (Listed, 2350m).
He is the only foal from his dam, the unraced Jiving (O’Reilly) to race. Jiving’s dam, Miss Motown (Darci Brahma) won in Australia and ranks as a half-sister to Miss Marielle (Encosta De Lago), a high-class mare who bagged Rosehill’s Hill Stakes (Gr 2, 1900m) among six wins in total. Miss Marielle went one better in the breeding barn, producing Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) winner Peeping (Redoute’s Choice). Miss Marielle’s half-brother Eurozone (Northern Meteor) was similarly successful at Group 2 level before a brief stud career.
Waiting for winter
With a good strike rate of five wins in ten starts is Stop The Rock (El Roca), narrow winner of Caulfield’s Sportsbet Feed Handicap (1700m) at big odds which caused the stewards to question the four-year-old’s dramatic form improvement.
Trainer Patrick Payne explained that while he was surprised that the gelding took a more forward position he also believed that the soft track was a factor. A look at the galloper’s race record is further proof. His best run of form was his three successive wins this time last year, including at Caulfield and Flemington.
Given the run of the race, one out and one back, Stop The Rock was asked for an effort soon after straightening and had a narrow lead at the 100m before holding on gamely by a nose. The win took his earnings to $293,000 and a healthy return on the $75,000 outlayed by his trainer at the 2023 NZB Ready To Run Sale at Karaka. Stop The Rock was sold out of the Westbury Stud draft.
El Roca (Fastnet Rock) currently sits third on the New Zealand Sire Premiership and has sired 14 individual stakes winners plus a further 17 runners who have earned black-type. Stop The Rock is the best of three winners from Shezablonde (Fusaichi Pegasus) whose stakes-placed dam She’s A Pretender (Danehill) is a sister to dual Group 1 winner Nothin’ Leica Dane.
Sunlight
Two weeks ago Kiwi Chronicles gave coverage to a leaked communication regarding machinations and rumblings within the New Zealand Racing and Breeding industry. Now officially released, the report is known as: New Zealand Racing Industry Reform – A Strategic Imperative for a Sustainable Future. To read the full report a simple Google search should suffice but the five recommendations are as follows:
1: Unify racing governance under a single accountable body with clear responsibility for strategy, funding, calendar and marketing.
KC take: One body to streamline governance and reduce costs.
2: Create a Strategic Property Vehicle to unlock and deploy racing industry capital across a rationalised venue network.
KC take: Rationalisation of racecourses and facilities. Clubs to face either amalgamation or closure. Parochialism of a national variety vs regional.
3: Modernise tax and regulatory settings for breeding investment to address the foal-crop shock and rebuild supply.
KC take: Lobby for government tax policy designed to increase the foal crop, increase breeding stock numbers, keep the industry viable and promote growth.
4: Transfer Racing Integrity Board funding to central Government appropriation to remove conflicts of interest, protect social licence and provide consistency with the sporting sector.
KC take: Save costs by transferring watchdogging and policing of the industry via an impartial government department.
5: Modernise TAB NZ’s legislative settings for revenue diversification so it can compete fairly, recapture offshore leakage and sustain funding beyond the Entain guarantee.
KC Take: Make the TAB more innovative, competitive, nimble and efficient.
Our’s is a peculiar industry. It is totally unique, intricate and complex. Only by either breeding, training or owning a racehorse can one possibly have any understanding of the industry. It is essential that decision-makers have skin in the game.
When the TAB Advisory Committee utilises the words “shock” and “unsustainable”, people need to wake up and smell the coffee. With the official release of their five point plan recommending major changes, sunlight has finally been poured on a report which has been too long in the making.
The problems and issues discussed are serious yet not surprising. As the Advisory Committee’s report points out, a number of issues have been known since the Messara Report, which merely gathered dust for five years.
One final thought: What if there was no TAB Advisory Committee? Think about that for just a moment. Their well researched report, while totally detailed and factual, is well worth your study. The committee has left no stone unturned. The key now is that it must be acted upon and not allowed to languish. Accountability is crucial. The industry has reached a critical turning point.
One subject, deep within the report, concerns race programming. Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s decision to sell off Ellerslie’s Hill and lay a StrathAyr track has been one of the best decisions taken. The track itself, while taking a little longer to “bed-in” than originally anticipated, has been enormously successful. In the depths of winter it has been a breath of fresh air, providing a superb surface upon which punters, trainers, jockeys and owners can have immense confidence.
So, why is it that the track will not be used again until September? Surely, this is why the StrathAyr track was installed in the first place? Take a look across the Tasman to Sydney. Randwick is used very often. Why not Ellerslie?
