Gringotts too strong at Randwick

[Wandering Eyes]

Promising New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts collected the fourth win of his nine-start career with a last-gasp victory in Saturday’s National Jockeys Trust Handicap (1400m) at Randwick.

Purchased privately from New Zealand after an impressive trial win at Te Awamutu for trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander, Gringotts wasted no time in making his mark in Australia earlier this year. He began his career with second placings at Sandown and Pakenham in January and February, then strung together a winning treble at Pakenham on February 16, Sandown on March 22 and Sandown again on April 8.

Gringotts kicked off his four-year-old season with a third placing at Moonee Valley in late August, then relocated to Sydney and finished fifth and a strong-finishing third in his first two appearances.

Gringotts was sent out as a $2.10 favourite for the final race on Saturday’s Randwick card, and he lived right up to those high expectations. 

Ridden in midfield by Tyler Schiller, Gringotts began to gather momentum early in the straight before a gap closed in front of him and he had to switch around heels. He got into clear air with 200m remaining and stretched out powerfully late in the piece, overhauling Russian Conquest and Portray in a tight finish.

“Early in the straight he wasn’t getting there quick, but I thought he really stretched late,” Schiller said. “His last part of the race was very strong.”

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gringotts has now had nine starts for four wins, two seconds and two thirds, earning A$290,800 for an ownership syndicate headed by Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neill.

Gringotts was bred by Totara Park Stud and is by Little Avondale Stud’s outstanding sire Per Incanto out of the Savabeel mare Miss Bluebell, whose two foals to race have both been winners. The other is Millefiori, who has won seven races and was runner-up in an open sprint at Pukekohe on Saturday.

Miss Bluebell is an unraced daughter of Operavega, who a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl, the dam of the champion Winx.

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