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Kazuhiko kicks off at ‘Nursery of Champions’

3 minute read

Kazuhiko runs in the Vale Subzero Maiden at Bendigo, enroute to a potential start in next month’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

Trainer : Lloyd Kennewell.
Trainer : Lloyd Kennewell. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Expensive colt Kazuhiko kicks off a potential Group 1 campaign with a trip to Bendigo in a bid to break his maiden status. 

Bendigo is known in Victorian circles as the 'Nursery of Champions' with many top line gallopers over the decades breaking through for their first wins at the country venue. 

A $1.7 million Deep Impact colt, Kazuhiko runs for the second time in the $50,000 Vale Subzero Maiden at Bendigo on Wednesday enroute to a potential start in next month's Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. 

Kazuhiko also holds a nomination for the Group 1 Cox Plate at The Valley and trainer Lloyd Kennewell said if the colt's form was showing the right signs then he will have no hesitation in taking the three-year-old to those Group 1 assignments. 

"He's a horse that will get out over a bit further this campaign," Kennewell said. 

"He's a very nice horse and we want to give him a nice experience, hence the reason we're kicking off at Bendigo over 1300 metres. 

"He's still only a big baby at three and he's going to keep getting better and better I would think. 

"He's in training and he's an expensive colt and he's getting ready for a Caulfield Guineas preparation and we'll see if he's good enough. 

"We're under no illusion that he's a pretty promising galloper and we've got to do the right thing by the horse, so the horse will come first the whole way through." 

Kazuhiko sits on the fourth line of betting at $7.50 with TAB Fixed Odds in early betting on Wednesday's race with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Ain'Tnodeeldun the $5 top elect. 

Kennewell knows the difficulty facing Kazuhiko on Wednesday saying any race in Victoria at this time of year is difficult to win. 

But Kennewell sees Wednesday's outing as a nice day out for the colt and Kazuhiko does have the right formlines to be a contender on Wednesday. 

On debut he finished second Extra Time in the Group 3 National Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville in May. 

"He did a lot of things wrong but still ran extremely well," Kennewell said. 

"That form has been franked at Caulfield on the weekend by Extra Time who ran fourth in the McNeil Stakes, beaten a half-length, so you would say that is a good form line. 

"He's got a beautiful attitude. He's great to have around the place. He's a very kind horse for a colt, which is good. 

"It will be a good day out for him. Going to Adelaide didn't hurt him and Bendigo should be the same."


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