St Leger the season final for Wolfgang

[Wandering Eyes]

Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini) will aim to complete his best season to date on a high on Saturday, chasing another Trentham distance feature in The Frac Club New Zealand St Leger (2500m).

A gelding by Puccini, Wolfgang has flourished in his six-year-old season, kicking off with victories at the Hawke’s Bay and Matamata premier meetings, before a successful trip across the Tasman where he finished fourth in the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m).

Back at home, he went on to place in the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) and Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2400m), before picking up the major spoils in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m), pushing his career earnings well above $500,000.

Wolfgang’s consistency continued in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) with a narrow placing behind What You Wish For, but after finishing at the tail in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) last-start, a second trip to Victoria for next Saturday’s Listed Lexus Roy Higgins (2600m) was ruled out.

“If he’d run a little bit better last start, we were going to go to Australia next week, but we just put that run down to not enjoying the right-handed tracks quite as much as left-handed,” his trainer Peter McKay said. “He’s won there (at Ellerslie) and run second, but the rest of his record isn’t that good.

“We’ll head down to Wellington instead and that will be his last run for the season, hopefully we can get some greenery around and he can spell in a nice paddock.

“He’s been up a wee while, but a lot of my horses can get through a long period as I don’t do a lot of galloping and exhibition gallops, I tend to race them. Hence, they do have a few races, but they seem to have longevity and enjoy their racing.

“He’s looking as good now as he was earlier in the season, he’s continued to tick over really well and we’re been very happy with him going into this race.”

Joining Wolfgang on the journey from Matamata is Ballon d’Or (NZ) (U S Navy Flag), a promising son of U S Navy Flag who has developed an affinity with the course with two wins and a placing there in his last four starts. Stepping back up to stakes company, the gelding will contest the Gr.2 IRT Wellington Guineas (1400m).

“We were hoping to go down there last-start and either win, or be unlucky not too, so we could go on to this race,” McKay said. “It’s come up a really good field, which is as to be expected.

“His race last time was out of where he usually likes to be, he had to lead them up all the way so to win like that, I thought was a really good effort. He’s a better horse taking a sit and attacking from there, so we were very happy.

“He’s come through that well and he’s going to have to step up another marker to compete against some of these horses, but I believe he’s got it there and deserves a run in the race.”

Bred by Valachi Downs, Ballon d’Or was initially purchased as a weanling by Bruce Perry Bloodstock and after being passed in at Karaka in 2023, McKay joined the ownership alongside Elsdon Park owner Lib Petagna.  

“They bought him as a weanling and he went to the yearling sales, but he’d broken a splint bone, so that was possibly enough to put people off, as well as being on the smaller side,” McKay said.

“When I saw him passed in, I got in contact with Lib and asked if he was interested in doing a deal, initially to trial up and sell. It’s working out really well for both parties at the moment.”

Completing the stable’s trio at Trentham will be in-form gelding Just Call Me Jonny (NZ) (Eminent), taking his place in The Upper Hutt Club Incorporated (1600m). Bred and raced by Milan Park’s Tony Rider, Just Call Me Jonny broke his maiden two starts back over a mile and nearly backed that up with a game second at Taupo on February 26.

“It was a good run (at Taupo), Craig (Grylls, jockey) came in a little bit annoyed with himself that he didn’t stick to the inside run,” McKay said. “There was a lot of speed up-front and they looked like they were going to start stopping on top of him, so he came out to make sure he got a clean run, and the winner’s kicked through on the rail.

“We were really happy with that run, and he’ll go back to a mile on the big, roomy track at Wellington. Craig came and worked him this morning and gave him the tick of approval, so he should be going down in fine fettle and should be in the first two or three, if all goes well.”

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