Gunstock (NZ) a Class Above in Coongy

3 minute read

A year after his emergence as a serious spring three-year-old talent, Gunstock (NZ) (Tavistock) rewarded his connections’ patience with a dominant performance in Wednesday’s A$200,000 Group Three Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.

Bought by Ohukia Lodge for $80,000 from the Book 1 draft of Cambridge Stud at Karaka 2020, Gunstock has now had seven starts for three wins, two placings and A$286,685 in stakes – four times his purchase price.

Gunstock rose to prominence around this time last year, placing in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington before scoring impressively in the Group Three Caulfield Classic (2000m).

He tackled the Victoria Derby (2500m) at just his fifth career start and wasn't quite ready for the Group One spotlight, finishing outside the placings. He spent the next 11 months off the racing scene before resuming with a second placing over 1630 metres at Flemington on September 18.

Wednesday's Coongy Cup was the second start of Gunstock's four-year-old season, and this time he was right back at the top of his game.

Ridden by Jamie Kah, the gelding sat in second place before striding to the lead with 700 metres remaining. He never looked back from there, powering clear to score a commanding victory by three lengths.

"I really wanted us to have something to track coming to the turn, but the way he was travelling, I knew I was going to get there too soon," Kah said.

"He's taken a lot of improvement from his first-up run. We knew he would, but the team has just brought him here in spot-on condition, and he wouldn't have blown a candle out the way he pulled up. That was just too easy for him."

Gunstock races in the colours of syndicators Import Racing and is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.

"He's not a bad horse," Price said. "I think he's got a good 2400-metre race in him, whether that be Bendigo or Geelong Cups, or even the last day of the Flemington carnival. I think he's a good, clean-winded, sound stayer who can win a nice staying race."

Gunstock is a full-brother to The Irishman (NZ) (Tavistock), who was a $170,000 purchase at Karaka in 2019 and placed in Sydney's Group Two Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) and Group Three Carbine Club Stakes (1600m).