3 minute read

Some might say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but in the case of the unbeaten two-year-old Espumoso it rings true.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained youngster made a winning debut at Te Aroha last month and at Te Rapa he struck again with a dominant display to bag the thick end of the stake in Saturday’s Team Wealleans 1000m.

Espumoso’s Australian connections are heavily involved in the thoroughbred industry across the Tasman and it’s their business that fuels their precocious young talent.

“His owners manufacture our horse feed and we ship it over from Australia,” Forsman said.

A son of Pins, Espumoso was a $50,000 purchase out of Waikato Stud’s Premier draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale earlier this year and is now a serious contender for the Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 27.

“That’s why we ran him today and he got the job done,” Forsman said. “We’ll talk to the owners and I think he could have a few weeks in the paddock now and then set him for that race.”

Espumoso enjoyed a handy run one off the fence and he lengthened stride in the straight to win by a comfortable length and a-half.

“He’s not big, but he has got a big action,” Forsman said. “He trialled up on a very bad track at Avondale and he finished second, but he didn’t handle it. He needs good ground.”

The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Fastnet Rock debutante Simogramor raced up to her pedigree with a bold showing off the front to finish runner-up.

She is a grey daughter of Katie Lee, who created New Zealand racing history nine years ago when she became the first horse to win both the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).