First stakes win for Almanzor as owner and trainer extend monopoly of $1m prize

From the day it was first announced in 2018 that three-time Group 1 winner Almanzor would shuttle to Cambridge Stud that season, the expectations have been high that he could prove a gamechanger for the New Zealand industry, that he could be the stallion to usher in a new era of the historic farm after its sale from Sir Patrick Hogan to Brendan and Jo Lindsay.

The French shuttler on Saturday took an almighty leap towards cementing his place among the most sought after stallions in the region after Dynastic became not only Almanzor’s first southern hemisphere winner but also his first stakes winner anywhere on the planet when landing the Listed Karaka Million.

It was also a day of history at Ellerslie as Dynastic became the sixth straight winner of the race for the Te Akau Racing operation and trainer Jamie Richards, following in the hoofprints of Melody Belle, Avantage, Probabeel, Cool Aza Beel and On The Bubbles.

While Te Akau principal David Ellis will be hoping to find their seventh winner at the delayed Karaka Yearling Sale in March, it won’t be prepared by Richards, whose imminent departure for Hong Kong ensures that his streak will end at six.

Still, with the unusual circumstance of no sale following the Karaka Million raceday this year, the Te Akau celebrations are sure to have continued well into the night.

Partnered deftly by Opie Bosson, Dynastic broke his maiden in the $1 million (£496,000/€593,000) feature, having finished second to stablemate Grace ‘n’ Grey on his debut on Boxing Day when he raced wide, was green and erratic at times, and then not knocked about over the concluding stages.

On Saturday, from gate four with blinkers applied for the first time, he raced midfield on the rail, with Bosson stealing ground wherever he could. Popping off the fence at the 500 metres mark, Dynastic still showed a tendency to lug out around the corner, as he did on his debut, but this time he quickly ranged up to the leaders and raced on by.

Previously unbeaten filly Wolverine tried to match strides but eventually faded, finishing two and a quarter lengths behind Dynastic in second, with another Te Akau representative, Fellini, a further length and a quarter away in third.

Richards also had fourth-placed Time Flies to complete a 1-3-4 for the handler, and the mild-mannered 32-year-old was full of emotion after once again dominating New Zealand’s premier two-year-old contest.

“What an amazing thrill to get six in a row and to have Almanzor get his first New Zealand winner in a $1 million race,” he said. “I’m delighted for Brendan and Jo and everybody at Cambridge Stud, also all of our staff at home. Dave has done it again and that man on top, what a champion.

“As everyone knows, things are going to change for me in the near future and hopefully we are not finished yet. There are plenty of options for a colt like him as what he is doing at the moment is really a bonus on what he will do next year.”

Ellis purchased the Windsor Park Stud-bred youngster for $360,000 from last year’s Karaka Premier Yearling Sale and admitted to being overwhelmed at Te Akau’s dominance.

“It was just amazing and I was so emotional when Karyn [Fenton-Ellis] said go and lead the horse back in, I nearly had tears streaming down my cheeks,” he said. “This is such a fun night and an amazing effort from our whole staff who prepare these horses.

“Jamie has done a great job, as has Opie, and I’m thrilled to have Cambridge Stud, Waikato Stud and Windsor Park supporting us in a horse like this.”

Dynastic is the third foal to race out of Avondale winner Meir, herself a half-sister to Lady Le Fay, a stakes performer on both sides of the Tasman.

A half-brother to Dynastic, by Windsor Park Stud’s Mongolian Khan, will be sold as Lot 929 during the Book 2 sale at Karaka that starts on March 10.

The Karaka Million 2YO was the second of three winners for Richards on the six-race Ellerslie card, after Sword Of State - sporting the black and yellow checks of the Lindsays - returned for a fitting victory in the Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy.

Ribchester on the board

Elsewhere, Plymstock launched herself into contention for the Blue Diamond Stakes when she was a stylish winner of the Heineken 3 Handicap on her debut at Randwick.

The James Cummings-trained filly was providing sire Ribchester with his first Australian winner, beating Deep Expectation by a length, with Emperor just under a quarter of a length further back in third.

The corresponding race 12 months ago threw up the subsequent Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, something that was not lost on Plmystock's jockey Tim Clark. The two-year-old is a half-sister to Godolphin's dual Group 1 winner Trekking, who finished unplaced in the 2017 Golden Slipper.

Ribchester stood at Haunui Farm in 2021, but is based at Kildangan Stud, where his 2022 fee is set at €12,500.

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