剛嬴一級賽的 Mufhasa 下個目標在唐加士達讓賽
Mufhasa is likely to head to Australia for further racing riches after winning the $NZ1 million Telegraph Handicap at Trentham in Wellington on Saturday.
Mufhasa, after racing in behind the leader, strode to the lead with about 300m to run and kicked clear to take out the 1200m Group One race by 1-1/4 lengths.
He beat Atapi with Ruud Van Slaats a half-length away third.
The next target for Mufhasa could be the $A2 million Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on April 18.
Trainer Stephen McKee said he had already considered the $A1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1600m) in Brisbane in the winter.
"The owner wants me to nominate for the Doncaster on Monday and we always had the Stradbroke in mind as well," McKee said.
"We'll just chill out over the weekend before making any decisions."
The victory capped an outstanding two months for Aucklander David Archer who owns Mufhasa in partnership with son Simon, daughter Natalie and partner Diane Wright.
It was the third big win with two different horses for Archer beginning with Mufhasa's win in the Group Two Coupland's Mile Handicap (1600m) at Riccarton on November 12.
Gallion's Reach then captured the Group One weight-for-age Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on December 26.
"All I know is it doesn't last," an excited Archer said.
"What do you say? It's just the biggest thrill in the world."
The success has come quickly for Archer who only re-entered racing a few years ago after the death of his wife Joy.
"We bred a few horses going back to the 1970s but my wife got cancer, so I pulled out of it," he said.
"We have only been back four or five years and so far there haven't been any slow ones."
Archer bought Mufhasa for only $NZ50,000 and Saturday's winning purse of $NZ600,000 took the Pentire four-year-old gelding' stake tally to $NZ988,000 with 20 starts for 10 wins, two seconds and a third.
Mufhasa finished fifth in the Railway Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 1 at his last run and McKee said he was buoyed by that.
"I was actually quite confident today, believe it or not," he said.
"The Railway possibly wasn't the right race but it just brought him on enough for today."
McKee said the left-handed way of racing at Trentham seemed to suit Mufhasa.
"He seems to have a better turn of foot this way round. Although he's pretty competent right-handed as well," he said.
Mufhasa, the $6.90 second favourite, was ridden by leading jockey Sam Spratt.
She had Mufhasa trailing the leader Jazella in the middle stages before edging him to the lead with about 300m to run.
Sydney visitor Lord Turffontein, backed from $6.30 to $5.60 favourite in the last few minutes of betting, was sixth.
Trained by Anthony Cummings, he was caught wide from an outside draw but otherwise had his chance.
There is a possibility Lord Turffontein could remain in New Zealand for the Group One weight-for-age Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 7.
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