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NZ Guineas winner takes at 3YO Classic

3 minute read

Aegon becomes the first horse in history to win New Zealand 2000 Guineas and Karaka Million 3YO Classic.

AEGON.
AEGON. Picture: Race Images Photo

Aegon (Sacred Falls) became the first horse to win both the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) when he won the lucrative race at Ellerslie on Saturday evening. 

Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, the son of the late Sacred Falls (O'Reilly) had not raced since his NZ 2,000 Guineas victory at Riccarton last November but had won a barrier trial at Matamata on January 12. 

The race had been billed as a two horse clash between Aegon and Te Akau Racing's Amarelinha (Savabeel), who won the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, and it was those two who ran on in the straight and fought stride by stride in the closing stages, with the son of Sacred Falls coming out on top and scoring by a head. Montre Moi (Showcasing) was another half length back in third. 

"It's a big thrill," Baker said. "We've been very patient with this horse, and the staff at home have done a great job with him. It's also a big achievement for my training partner Andrew, who selected him at the yearling sales.

"He'd never been tried right-handed before, but he was given a great ride from Leith Innes today and he's delivered on a big stage."

Aegon is owned by Zame Partnership who also raced Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Jon Snow (Iffraaj) with the Baker-Forsman training partnership. 

"Aegon is a very good horse, and horses like him make trainers look good," Forsman said. "It's special to be racing a horse like this with such great people. It's a dream.

"Leith is a big-race rider and did a brilliant job today, and it's a great result. I'm very happy for the staff at home. We've had a bit of a lean time recently, we haven't had the strength of team that we had a few seasons ago, so this is a real boost for them."

Bought by Forsman for NZ$150,000 at Book 1 of the 2019 Karaka National Yearling Sale from the draft of Waikato Stud, Aegon is now unbeaten in four career starts and his earnings total $859,900. 

He is one of four winners out of winning Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Toss Up. Further back this is the family of multiple Group 1 winner Daffodil (No Excuse Needed). 

Sacred Falls, who died in December 2019, has five lots set to sell during Book 1 which gets underway at Karaka on Sunday. 


Racing and Sports

Ellerslie

Saturday, 23rd January 2021

6
19:45
(local)

Karaka Million 3yo Classic (LR)

Age: 3yo Type: OPEN
NZD $1,000,000
1600m TURF DEAD
6
19:45
(local)
NZD $1,000,000
1600m DEAD

Karaka Million 3yo Classic (LR)

Age: 3yo Type: OPEN

This may have been only a Listed 3yo event over 1600m but it saw the unbeaten Aegon again win and maintain his now record of four starts for four wins. The gelding is a backrunner so needs a smidgen of luck and pace in his races but his will to win is unquestionable and once again today he surged and knows exactly where and what the winning post is for. The winners and where they came from on the home turn were fourth (six-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), led (one-off the inside and a length clear), tenth (seven-off the inside and five lengths from the leader), third (four-off the inside and half a length from the leader), third (one-off the inside and a length from the leader) and ninth (four-off the inside and three lengths from the leader). Aegon is not big and not flashy but he is an undefeated winner and the most staggering thing today was he ran second favorite and paid $2.60 a win. He got back as usual and was tenth in traffic across the top and ninth turning for home but still three lengths away and looking to pick a path through them. The gelding did and he actually got to the lead a tad soon being in front at the 150m but he held on in a real fight the final 100m by a head and clocked a slick 1:33.78. The most amazing thing about Aegon is the prices he has paid (over $7 twice and over $2 twice) and he is yet to be odds on despite never having suffered a defeat. The only thing that is a query is yet to race on a genuine dry track as that will make it harder to pick them up and drop them as he does from well off the pace. The runner up Amarelinha ran favourite and came up a head short after looking the winner starting the final 100m but she could not get past the male. This filly has had four starts for two wins and two second with the defeats being a nose and a head plus she has a big body and long frame so is headed places when fully mature. She had won a G2 against her own age and sex prior impressively and after a trial win was proved for this but ran into an already G1 winner that refuses to lose. Amarelinha in her trial win before today had beaten her stablemate Melody Belle (a twelve time G1 winner) that would win fresh up at G1 since too. It all looks ahead for Amarelinha and she could well be the next big thing for these colours and yard. Third home and a certainty beaten was the Central Districts visitor Montre Mio that after being second last away and still back tenth turning in he steamed home hard wider. The gelding was sixth at the 200m and fifth at the 100m then third at the 50m and came with a big finish to be beaten a head and also half a length and but for the start may well have won this. The cushion in the ground played into his favour and he is yet another backrunner in the 3yo ranks. Next home was On Display that drew wide and settled midfield and deep to the home turn but he kept coming well and reached fourth at the 25m mark albeit beaten two and a half lengths. Perfect Scenario was fifth home after racing there on the inner and then moving up and leading at the 200m briefly. It was a run on finish so his fifth was not too bad as was Dragon Queen (apprentice rider atop) that ran sixth after racing fourth the outer and then going to the lead turning in. Seventh home was Lord Ardmore that ran on late from second or third last on settling and he was beaten five lengths. Next home was Zee Falls that raced eighth the inner and got held up at the 200m then she did not ping the closing stages. Screamin Eagle ran ninth beaten seven and a half lengths and surely is a winner in waiting when put against his proper maiden grade. He was also ridden by an apprentice today too. Bella Button was next home after racing second or third last the inner then came Supreme Khan, that led up and stopped badly once headed on the home turn. The rest were beaten over ten lengths and mostly disappointing with Waimoku Falls losing her rider, an apprentice, after 350m. The twelfth finisher Tannahill was one of the better runs as he was wide before going up second the outer then he got run off near the home turn by the riderless Waimoku Falls, so his effort is a total forgive. Gurtlyn ran on late after settling down a clear last at $141 a win, so was not disgraced. The first three home here have it all ahead and their pathways will be intriguing for the rest of this season. Aegon will likely tackle Australia and the much more regarded G1 company while Amarelinha could tackle anything locally and be a threat. Montre Moi is still in the Derby but his connections have options and he is a stout closer too. There will be several winners in the lower grades out of this as it was a genuinely run event and a big field too plus the off-pacer and get home from the back types dominated the finish.



FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 1. AEGON (NZ) 3yo G
SACRED FALLS (NZ) - TOSS UP (NZ)
LEITH INNES
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$2.62
56.5kg

Sales Information

2nd 11. AMARELINHA (NZ) 3yo F
SAVABEEL (AUS) - HOPSCOTCH (NZ)
DANIELLE JOHNSON
JAMIE RICHARDS
$2.11
54.5kg
Te Akau Hopskip'n'jump Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis Mnzm)

Sales Information

3rd 8. FUNCTION PATCH (NZ) 3yo G
SHOWCASING (GB) - NEXT (GB)
LISA ALLPRESS
JOHNO BENNER & HOLLIE WYNYARD
$21
56.5kg
Lam Wai Ying

Sales Information

4th 3. ON DISPLAY (NZ) 3yo G
SHOWCASING (GB) - GATESTOPPER (NZ)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
DANNY WALKER
$101
56.5kg

Sales Information

5th 6. PERFECT SCENARIO (NZ) 3yo G
IFFRAAJ (GB) - ROSETTI BAY (NZ)
VINNIE COLGAN
JAMIE RICHARDS
$31
56.5kg

Sales Information

6th 13. DRAGON QUEEN (NZ) 3yo F
SWEYNESSE (AUS) - HAPPY ENDINGS (NZ)
TAIKI YANAGIDA
MICHAEL MORONEY & PAM GERARD
$67
54.5kg

Sales Information

7th 2. LORD ARDMORE (NZ) 3yo C
RELIABLE MAN (GB) - MISS OUTSHINE (NZ)
SAM SPRATT
STEPHEN MCKEE
$41
56.5kg

Sales Information

8th 12. ZEE FALLS (NZ) 3yo F
SACRED FALLS (NZ) - ZELITIST (NZ)
CRAIG GRYLLS
STEPHEN MARSH
$41
54.5kg

Sales Information

9th 7. SCREAMIN EAGLE (NZ) 3yo G
PINS (AUS) - YOUTOOFAST (NZ)
DARREN DANIS
DANICA GUY
$101
56.5kg

Sales Information

10th 16. BELLA BUTTON (NZ) 3yo F
PROISIR (AUS) - MISS THORN (NZ)
MICHAEL MCNAB
PETER & DAWN WILLIAMS
$26
54.5kg

Sales Information

11th 5. SUPREME KHAN (NZ) 3yo G
MONGOLIAN KHAN (AUS) - ANGELICA HALL (NZ)
TROY HARRIS
JAMIE RICHARDS
$16
56.5kg

Sales Information

12th 10. TANNAHILL (NZ) 3yo G
STAR WITNESS (AUS) - CRUISE CONTROL (AUS)
WIREMU PINN
ANDREW R CAMPBELL
$61
56.5kg

Sales Information

13th 17. GURTLYN (NZ) 3yo F
DALGHAR (FR) - LADY EURO (NZ)
CHRIS JOHNSON
A BAKER
$151
54.5kg

Sales Information

14th 4. INVISIBLE SPIRIT (NZ) 3yo G
CHARM SPIRIT (IRE) - INVISIBLE COIN (AUS)
SAM WEATHERLEY
JOHNO BENNER & HOLLIE WYNYARD
$31
56.5kg

Sales Information

15th 14. BEAUNE (AUS) 3yo F
KERMADEC (NZ) - SAN CRISTOBEL (NZ)
TRUDY THORNTON
EMMA-LEE & DAVID BROWNE
$101
54.5kg

Sales Information

16th 9. EDGE OF WONDER (NZ) 3yo G
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - WONDERWORLD (AUS)
JOHNATHON PARKES
GRAEME & DEBBIE ROGERSON
$101
56.5kg

Sales Information

LR 15. WAIMOKU FALLS (NZ) 3yo F
SACRED FALLS (NZ) - HONOLULU (NZ)
ASHVIN GOINDASAMY
STEPHEN MCKEE
$81
54.5kg

Sales Information

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