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Stormy lands Wakefield Challenge Stakes
Westbury Stud-based first-season sire Telperion (Street Cry) chalked up his stakes winner on Saturday as his son Stormy (2 c ex Silent Night by Swiss Ace) landed the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) at Trentham, taking his unbeaten record to two.
Last seen making a winning a debut on Awapuni on October 31, the Tony Pike-trained colt cleared early in the home straight before fending off the challenge of Fonsalette (Belardo) over the final 200 metres to run out a comfortable half a length a winner, with Taoiseach (Highly Recommended) a further four and three-quarter lengths further back in third.
Pike said the colt would now be aimed at the Sistema Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Ellerslie on March 13, before having a track at the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Awapuni on April 3.
“He got a bit lost out in front and got on the wrong leg going over the crossing but he has got the job done,” Pike said.
“He’s probably a better chaser than a leader but he has done it nicely in the end.
“He is a homebred horse and not a Karaka Million contender so we will give him a little break now and then bring him back for one run before we go into the Sires’ races.”
Bred and raced by Geoff and Heather Nicholls, the colt is out of unraced Swiss Ace (Secret Savings) mare Silent Night and he becomes the first stakes winner in three generations of his family.
Stormy’s third fourth dam is the unraced mare Christmas Spirit (Bletchingly), who produced Group 2 winner Light Up The World (Rory's Jester) - the dam of Group 3 winner World Peace (Danehill), who in turn produced fellow Group 3 winner Chivalry (Street Cry).
Light Up The Word is also the grandam of multiple Group 1 winner Bentley Biscuit (Peintre Celebre) and fellow elite level winner Thorn Park (Spinning World).
The stallion will be represented by 13 lots at next year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Karaka Yearling Sale, which kicks off on January 24. Telperion stood at Westbury Stud for a fee NZ$5,000 (plus GST) in 2020.