Centennial Park flags Kiwi credentials

[Wandering Eyes]

A hard-fought victory at the Caulfield Heath on Boxing Day by promising three-year-old Centennial Park, could be a precursor to a lucrative feature across the Tasman.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained son of Super Seth dug deep under Jamie Mott to narrowly prevail in the Allan Wicks Handicap (1600m) to make it successive victories after finishing runner-up on debut.

“That was Jamie Mott at his absolute best. He lifted him,” said Rayan Moore, Racing Manager for Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

“I think Linda (Meech’s) horse Colour Our World was laying all over him in the concluding stages and it really urged him along and Jamie was very vigorous. He is putting a good record together.”

Moore said Centennial Park had impressed with his versatility in a three-start career to date.

“You can put him anywhere,” he said. “We wanted to be a pair further forward but Jamie took his medicine, he was very relaxed, and the way he went through the line, a mile might not hold him up now. I think he could get out a little further in time.”

Centennial Park will now come into consideration for the NZ$3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie on March 8, a slot race for three-year-olds restricted to New Zealand Bloodstock graduates or New Zealand breds – with the talented galloper ticking both boxes.

“He is Kiwi bred and there is a Kiwi race in March so if there are any slot holders out there, the phones are ringing, get on,” Moore said.

“It is a perfect time to showcase that. He has got a perfect platform through these summer months and 1500m is probably his prime distance at the moment.”

Any slot holders pondering Centennial Park for the Kiwi should be locking in Jamie Mott as part of the deal, with the hoop pivotal to the victory.

“He is still very young and on the way up and I like the progression he made from his maiden to his first win,” Mott said.

“Again today he has made better progression but there is so much more to come with him. He is a big baby and even so much so, going to the barriers and coming back, he was running into the fence and just being a big dumbo.

“He has got a great motor on him. He has got a lot to learn but he was able to extricate very quickly once they did come up outside me on the corner and he was really in for the fight.

“Linda’s horse possibly had my measure at the 250m but my horse was the strongest late and any further he would have pulled away.

“He has nice ability under the bonnet and once he does put it together, he is going to be a really nice horse. He has put together a good record so far and the exciting thing is he doesn’t know what he is doing and once he picks it up, he will be exciting.”

From the first-crop of exciting Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth, Centennial Park was bred by Stephanie Hole and is a half brother to stakes winner Starvoia. Sold as a yearling at Karaka 2023 by Wentwood Grange for $260,000 to Kevin Walls’ KPW Bloodstock on behalf of prominent Queensland owners Ron and Judi Wanless, Wentwood Grange will present a half-sister to Centennial Park by Sword Of State at next month’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales as Lot 272.

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