Equinox wins exciting two-year-old showdown

[Chief Stipe]

The country’s two leading stables fought out the finish of today’s TAB March Madness Cup at Trentham with a pair of exciting two-year-old colts.

The champion Cambridge pair of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman went into today’s meeting with 80 wins for the season, a slight advantage over Te Akau’s Jamie Richards on 77.

But Richards moved to 78 as the blue-blooded Equinox held out the desperate late lunge of Holy Mongolemporor by a long head.

Equinox, by Exceed And Excel out of the Group One performer Our Ella Belle, was a $750,000 yearling purchase at Karaka by Te Akau principal David Ellis. He scored a brilliant debut win at Trentham in late January, but failed on a wet track in last month’s Gr. 3 Waikato Stud Slipper at Matamata.

Holy Mongolemperor, a colt by More Than Ready carrying the China Horse Club’s colours, had made a big impression at the trials and was a close fifth at Pukekohe in his only previous start at the end of February – a race that has already produced the stylish subsequent winner Folk Dress.

A grandson of the top-class mare Zirna, Holy Mongolemperor was a $240,000 purchase at the Ready to Run Sale.

Equinox was ridden today by Michael McNab, taking over from Troy Harris, who had a fall at Te Aroha yesterday. Harris reportedly had no broken bones but was taken to hospital for checks on a possible concussion.

After having an easy time in the lead through the first 500 metres, Equinox kicked clear with a smart turn of foot at the top of the straight.

Just as he appeared to have the race in safe keeping, Holy Mongolemperor produced an explosive finish out wide to make things very interesting in the last 50 metres. But Equinox was up to the challenge and held on for a narrow win.

“I’ve ridden him a fair bit in work, so I know him well enough,” McNab said. “I thought there might be a bit more pressure early in the race from Lisa (Allpress, riding the eventual third placegetter In Fashion from the inside gate).

“When that early pressure wasn’t there, I decided I might as well take it up and get over to the fence.

“He’s still only three-parts there and doesn’t really know what he’s doing yet. He’s got a bit of presence about him. He knows he’s pretty cool. He’s going to be a serious horse when he figures everything out.

“I don’t see why he shouldn’t take a shot at the Group One next.”

That race is the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes over 1400 metres at Awapuni on March 30 – a race Richards has won in the last two years with Melody Belle and Avantage.

Richards, born and raised in the South Island and expressing his concern for the people of Christchurch, clearly took satisfaction from today’s result.

“It’s good to get a result like this for all those who have invested in the colts syndicate,” he said. “The second horse had trialled very well, so the form from this race should hold up.

“We want to teach this colt to tuck in behind other horses – you’d think a bit of cover would help him see out a longer trip than today’s 1200 metres, and I think he’ll be a better colt when he has something to chase. But I said to Michael before the race that today might not be the day for that.

“He got a soft lead and did it well. He probably wants a better track again than what he had today (Dead6, with 1200 metres run in 1:11.56), but we’ll carry on to the Sires’ Produce Stakes as long as the track is okay there.

“He’s a high-class horse that we really like, and we’re looking forward to a couple of weeks.”

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