Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino recorded his first win as a sire at Sandown on Wednesday and fittingly it was his former trainer who saddled the victor.
Caulfield conditioner Mick Price trained Tarzino to wins in the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) and Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on his way to being crowned Champion Three-Year-Old colt in Australia, prior to heading to stud in New Zealand.
Price, who now trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, was delighted to train Tarzino’s first winner when Jungle Magnate held on to win on Wednesday over 1400m.
The two-year-old colt was pushed forward early from his outside barrier in the nine-horse field by jockey Mark Zahra, who was able to find the one-one after failing to attain the lead.
Zahra then guided his charge three-wide turning for home and Jungle Magnate was able to gain the front with 250m to go and hold out a fast-finishing Mac ‘N’ Cheese in resolute fashion.
“Jungle Magnate is typical of Tarzino in terms of his toughness,” Price said. “They are going to be good, energetic, tough horses and Jungle Magnate is very sound.
“We didn’t buy Jungle Magnate as a staying type as such. He does have a better turn of foot.
“We need to assess him as to whether he stays in work or not, but given that he may be a spring colt, he might be best placed for a break now, but it is still to be decided.
“He is a sharper type of colt than what Tarzino was. I think the beauty of sending a 1200m to 1600m mare to Tarzino is you will get a horse with a better turn of foot and that is why we bought this horse. He didn’t look like a typical staying colt.
“He is going to be good when he gets to 1600m and I’d like to think he has some black-type potential.”
Price and Kent have had five youngsters by Tarzino through the stables and are somewhat taken by another quality colt in Mangani, who finished an eye-catching eighth at Flemington on debut a fortnight ago.
“I like him a lot, I think he will be a VRC Derby colt,” Price said. “He is a beautiful horse and a gentleman to work with and he is tough, just like Tarzino. He is a black-type colt in the spring and the autumn for sure.
“I think the Tarzinos may throw either way. You’ve got to remember that Tavistock himself (Tarzino’s sire) was not a dour stayer. Tavistock was a 1400m horse to a miler with a good turn of foot.
“If you buy a Tarzino, you are not necessarily going to get a stayer, but I think you are going to get from a mile and beyond with them, which is what Jungle Magnate looks like when we bought him.
“Tarzino has got a lot going for him as a stallion and I think New Zealand breeders should support him.”
Jungle Magnate was purchased by Price out of Westbury Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $75,000 and is out of the Casino Prince mare The Love Of Money.
Tarzino, who has been represented by three runners to date, will once again stand at Westbury Stud’s Karaka property this coming breeding season for a fee of $12,000+GST. - NZ Racing Desk
