Crown Prosecutor delivers Derby boilover

[Chief Stipe]

In what could fairly be described as the biggest upset in New Zealand Derby history, Crown Prosecutor has won the Vodafone-sponsored classic at odds of $105.

Nobody, not even those closest to the showy brown colt, rated him any sort of chance against a quality field of three-year-olds. The one exception might have been jockey Craig Grylls, who followed trainer Stephen Marsh’s pre-race instructions to the letter and delivered a perfect ride.

For Marsh, a son of one of New Zealand’s most respected horsemen, now Singapore-based trainer Bruce Marsh, this was the ultimate result as he replicated his father’s New Zealand Derby victory with Hail 19 years ago.

The irony for Marsh junior was that he also saddled up the well-fancied Levin Classic and Avondale Guineas placegetter Vernanme, who trailed home in ninth place, more than five lengths adrift of his stablemate.

“We gave him a chance simply because he was in the field and he had a draw that would allow him to race on the pace,” Marsh said of Crown Prosecutor. “I told Craig to ride him forward and give him his chance.

“We knew he was hard-fit and he would see out the trip, so that’s how it worked out. Craig gave him a lovely ride in behind the speed and didn’t cover any ground.

“He’s a tough horse, nothing had gone his way since he won that race (the Wellington Stakes) before Christmas, but it all fell into place today.

“This is the Derby, it’s New Zealand’s greatest race, and it feels fantastic to know we’ve won it.”

Grylls, who returned from a three-year Singapore stint at the start of the year, counted himself lucky not just to be on a Derby runner but to be riding at all today.

“I’ve been crook as a dog for the past three days,” he explained. “I managed to get through my rides on Wednesday and Thursday, then yesterday I spent the whole day in bed.

“I woke up this morning feeling a lot better, so it’s great to get the job done.

“I didn’t know a lot about him but Stephen told me he’d give me a good ride. He was actually a bit green up the straight the first time but once I got him in behind a couple he settled into a rhythm.

“I had a handful of horse as we came round the bend and the gap was there when I angled him out. The other horse (Prise De Fer) got up alongside us but he was never going to get past, my bloke was just so determined.”

At the line just a head separated Crown Prosecutor and Prise De Fer, the crucial difference being that while the winner had the most economical trip possible, the runner-up had nowhere near the same good fortune. Through the middle stages he was three-wide without cover and all things considered, put up a huge effort to push the winner so close.

The other hard luck story came from third placegetter Platinum Invador, who settled in the rear and still had only a handful behind him at the top of the straight. He put in big strides over the final stages to come between the favourite Surely Sacred and Arrogant for third, a length and a half behind the runner-up.

Crown Prosecutor is yet another success story for Wairarapa bloodstock agent Bruce Perry and his major client Lib Petagna. Perry selected the son of Medaglia D’Oro as a yearling in Melbourne on behalf of Wanganui couple Harvey and Linda Green.

“We originally intended pinhooking him at the Ready to Run Sale, but as we got closer to the sale Bruce suggested that we keep him,” recalled Harvey Green. “He said he could bring Lib in for half, so that’s what happened.

“At the start of the week we thought we would be just making up the numbers, and I have to confess we didn’t even back him.

“But there had to be one horse that would see out the 2400 metres, and how lucky are we that the horse is ours!”

 

View the full article