幸運馬主子嗣 The Heckler 嬴取卡拉卡百萬大賽
A call to bring Michael Rodd over from Australia paid dividends when he won the $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie in Auckland aboard The Heckler.
Rodd brought the Australian-bred gelding down the middle of the track to win the 1200m Listed race for Karaka yearling sales graduates by 1-1/2 lengths from Queensland visitor Sarge In Charge, with Bewitch third.
Rodd, who boasts the 2007 Melbourne Cup on Efficient among his big-race wins, has ridden several times for New Zealand trainers Murray and Bjorn Baker.
He won the Brisbane Cup and the Kelt Capital Stakes aboard the Bakers' top mare Prized Gem in 2002.
"Michael Rodd has always been my favourite rider ever since he won two Group Ones for us aboard Prized Gem," Bjorn Baker said.
"He's one of the best riders in Australia."
The Heckler, by top Hong Kong galloper Lucky Owners out of Comedy Cafe, was a $70,000 purchase at Karaka for Alastair Sutherland, Peter Walker and Tony Timpson, the trio who raced last year's Group One winner Fully Fledged.
They later got Sir Patrick Hogan into the syndicate, and the win atoned for the failure of his other Karaka Million runner, the eighth-placed favourite Katie Lee.
The Heckler won his debut well at Ellerslie on Boxing Day but ran sixth in his only other race.
"This horse has been constantly bothered by shin soreness for the last two months so my staff have done a great job," Murray Baker said.
"He's certainly learnt to swim."
Sarge In Charge put in a great effort after being three wide on the pace for much of the race.
Outsider Bewitch fought well for third ahead of the winner's stablemate Veldt, with Corsage very unlucky in fifth place.
The other Australian, Optimizing, trained by David Hayes, finished seventh.
|
