All-the-way Rosehill win for Kiwi import

[Wandering Eyes]

Darby Racing’s new recruit Nkosi (Shamus Award) collected his second win from three Australian starts with a dominant front-running performance in the A$160,000 TAB Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

The Bjorn Baker-trained four-year-old made a winning Australian debut at Wyong last month, scoring by four lengths over 1600m, then finished seventh in a 1500m race at Rosehill on August 30.

The step up to 1800m proved to be ideal for the New Zealand import, who was sent forward by jockey Dylan Gibbons and controlled the race from the front.

Nkosi kicked hard in the straight and put himself well out of reach for the chasers, who were headed by Glad You Think So (So You Think) two and a quarter lengths behind.

“Going up in trip on and the blinkers going on helped him a little bit,” Baker said. “His last start was a bit of a sprint home, which probably didn’t suit him.”

Nkosi is by Shamus Award out of the New Zealand-bred O’Reilly mare Sailing Past (NZ). Second dam Tropical Beat (NZ) is a half-sister to Gr.2 Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic (1500m) winner My Emotion (NZ) (Savabeel), while another half-sister is Midnight Revels (NZ) (Don Eduardo), the dam of Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) winner Seabrook (NZ) (Hinchinbrook). The third dam Midnight Rock (NZ) (Belardo) is a half-sister to Group One winner Aloha, dam of the high-class Libertini (I Am Invincible).

Woburn Farm bought Nkosi for A$30,000 from the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, then offered him in Book 1 of Karaka 2023 where he failed to meet his $80,000 reserve.

Nkosi began his career with four starts in New Zealand from the Cambridge stable of Tony Pike, winning the most recent of them at Ellerslie on May 7 before being purchased privately by Darby Racing.

From a seven-start career, Nkosi has now recorded three wins and has earned A$120,579.

“Thanks to the owners for trusting us to buy a horse that had won one race in New Zealand, using our eye,” Darby Racing director Scott Darby said.

“We’ve passed him on to the master team, the Baker team, who really are improving horses.

“I know it didn’t work out with this horse last start, when we went back in distance. But with the blinkers on today and going up to 1800m, Dylan gave him a great ride and he won well. This is a very promising horse.”

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