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2018 Castletown Wellington Cup Group 3 January 20 - Trentham

3 minute read

Magic Chai wins 2018 Castletown Wellington Cup Group 3 NZ$250,000 at Trentham (NZ), 3200m.

MAGIC CHAI winning the Wallaceville Estate Castletown Wellington Cup Race at Wellington in New Zealand.
MAGIC CHAI winning the Wallaceville Estate Castletown Wellington Cup Race at Wellington in New Zealand. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Following two wins and a solid third in his last three starts, Magic Chai proved the best stayer here in a slowish time. He was among the last three (rails) with a round to go and remained there past the 1000m before getting away from the fence at the 700m.

Rider Michael McNab continued to improve although widest turning in then balanced up to go after the leaders. Gradually they ran up alongside the leaders then accelerated quickly at the 100m to put the race away, his fifth in 18 starts.

Sampson led at the 1600m, was second at the 800m, co-led turning in then fought all the way to the line for a dour second from Alinko Prince who co-led at the top of the straight and who also fought on for a close third.

Giving the field 5.5kg, top weight Patrick Erin did well to hold fourth down on the inner.


ANZ Bloodstock News

Trentham

Saturday, 20th January 2018

9
16:57
(local)

Wellington Cup (G3)

WT: 53kg Type: OPEN
NZD $250,000
3200m TURF DEAD
9
16:57
(local)
NZD $250,000
3200m DEAD

Wellington Cup (G3)

WT: 53kg Type: OPEN

The 2018 G3 Wellington Cup (3200m) was likely the lowest rating edition of the race ever and had no depth whatsoever. The clear topweight Patrick Erin had never run in a Group race ever but had 59kg and was 4.5kg above any other runner, which says it all. He started favourite and ran an honest fourth but giving away so much weight proved a bridge too far in a slow run race. Magic Chai won the race and the Australian bred gelding was just a four-race winner prior that was rising multiple grades in this and in fact had never contested a blacktype race until today. He bounded in the air at the start and settled last but crucially made a wide run across the top and on the minimum of 53kg swept up seventh turning for home and not very from the leaders. The race track bias all day made it imperative you had to be there or thereabouts turning for home and with momentum. Magic Chai was a closing fourth at the 200m and second at the 100m before getting to the front with 50m to go and went on to score by a long neck in a tepid 3:25.19. The 5yo was winning his fifth race from eighteen starts and all his wins notably have come at 2100m up to 3200m so stamina is his earning skill. Sampson led up and was kicking hard but could not repel the winner the closing stages and it gave him a second dividend bearing position in this race having finished third in 2016 when it was a G2 race. He was a nine-win galloper and the 8yo was on the minimum today of 53kg as was the third finisher Alinko Prince, a six-win 6yo gelding. Alinko Prince was midfield then moved up wide across the top before striding into the lead at the 300m only to be headed 100m later. He fought hard and was just a long neck and a short neck from victory. Patrick Erin pulled hard handy the inner for an eternity and under 59kg it left him none of this usual impressive lift and surge. He finished fourth and beaten just over two lengths so was game but when giving away so much weight you cannot over-race like that. High Spirits moved up from back and wide to be fourth across the top and got to second at the 300m before wilting a tad but the key was the mare got going to be in the race turning for home. Princess Dillon a two-win mare was only paying $29 and that alone shows what the depth of this field really represented. She trailed the inner and wilted to sixth beaten just over two and a half lengths. Highlad sat second the outer early then was sixth across the top as some moves were made before one-batting the run home to finish seventh beaten just under seven lengths. Clarify had a nice run the outer and does not run out the 3200m it seems and got beaten over ten lengths. Model Aye was a modest ninth but Alfie Dee at $83 was noticed warming up very late after being in the rear duo for most of the race. The rest got beaten a dozen lengths and up to just over thirty-seven lengths and either could not stay or were outclassed or needed wetter footing or all three. Blathwayt, an 8yo warrior, sadly at his fiftieth start faltered just shy of a lap out, when the field was crawling and many runners tugging hard. He fractured the fetlock on his left foreleg and was humanely euthanized. This was a very poor field and demotion of this once G1 race down to G2 and now G3 has been well deserved as it is not a serious two-mile event anymore. Magic Chai has years ahead of racing and can stay but needs to find six or seven seconds to be competitive in a real 3200m test. Patrick Erin in a more solidly run 3200m race is probably still the best stayer in New Zealand still at the moment.



FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 9. MAGIC CHAI (AUS) 5yo G
MAGIC ALBERT (AUS) - CHAI (AUS)
MICHAEL MCNAB
TONY PIKE
$8.1
53kg
M A & Mrs S L Treweek

Sales Information

2nd 4. SAMPSON (NZ) 8yo G
DUBAI DESTINATION (USA) - MAGIC STAR (AUS)
TRUDY THORNTON
H W MATHEWS
$9.5
53kg
Mrs L Mathews & Mrs J Street

Sales Information

3rd 6. ALINKO PRINCE (NZ) 6yo G
ALAMOSA (NZ) - SHINKO PRINCESS (NZ)
DANIELLE JOHNSON
FRASER AURET
$6.8
53kg
Bromley Bloodstock Ltd
4th 1. PATRICK ERIN (NZ) 6yo G
GALLANT GURU (AUS) - MEGA BABE (NZ)
CHRIS JOHNSON
BRIAN & SHANE ANDERTON
$5.2
59kg

Sales Information

5th 10. HIGH SPIRITS (NZ) 5yo M
DARCI BRAHMA (NZ) - SPIRITING (NZ)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
JOHN BARY
$8.9
53kg

Sales Information

6th 13. PRINCESS DILLON (AUS) 5yo M
DYLAN THOMAS (IRE) - PRIOR PRINCESS (NZ)
DANIEL MOOR
JOSEPH WALDRON
$29.4
53kg
7th 8. HIGHLAD (AUS) 4yo G
HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - MY LADY'S CHAMBER (AUS)
MATTHEW CAMERON
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$7.3
53kg

Sales Information

8th 5. MR CLARIFY (NZ) 5yo G
SAVABEEL (AUS) - CLARETA (AUS)
SHAUN M MC KAY
PETER MCKAY
$8.5
53kg

Sales Information

9th 11. MODEL AYE (NZ) 5yo G
SHOCKING (AUS) - WHERESMUM (NZ)
ALYSHA COLLETT
SHAUN & EMMA CLOTWORTHY
$21.3
53kg
10th 16. ALFIE DEE (NZ) 7yo G
ZED (NZ) - ISADORA (NZ)
SARAH O'MALLEY
KENNETH DUNCAN
$83.4
53kg
11th 3. SAINT KITT (NZ) 8yo G
KEEPER (AUS) - SOUTHERN CRY (NZ)
TONY ALLAN
GUY LOWRY & GRANT CULLEN
$68.6
53.5kg

Sales Information

12th 7. DR WATSON (NZ) 6yo G
HANDSOME RANSOM (AUS) - DAME NGAIO (NZ)
RYAN ELLIOT
SYLVIA KAY
$32.6
53kg
13th 12. THORN PASS (NZ) 7yo G
THORN PARK (AUS) - EN PASSANT (NZ)
CAMERON LAMMAS
LISA LATTA
$38.4
53kg

Sales Information

14th 15. SYLVESTER (NZ) 5yo G
ROAD TO ROCK (AUS) - PENSIVE (NZ)
MARK HILLS
SYLVIA KAY
$68.4
53.5kg
15th 14. SHOW MACCOOL (NZ) 7yo G
FLYING SPUR (AUS) - LACADA (AUS)
SAM SPRATT
TRACEY CHARLES
$55.1
53kg

Sales Information

UNP 2. BLATHWAYT (NZ) 8yo G
COLOMBIA (NZ) - MISS YACHTIE (NZ)
R J MYERS
A MACGREGOR
$17.2
54.5kg

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