Mature Mightybeel lands Christmas Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

Four-year-old Savabeel gelding Mightybeel (NZ) has enjoyed a fruitful campaign that has netted four wins from seven starts, including Saturday’s Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick.

Sporting the colours of Kiwi syndicators Go Racing, Mightybeel is yet another New Zealand-bred stayer that has benefited from the patient handling of champion trainer Chris Waller.

The progressive stayer was ridden perfectly by Hugh Bowman, who bided his time before pouncing on race favourite Herman Hesse (Frankel) inside the final furlong, to score a comfortable 1¼ length victory, with the pair a further six lengths in advance of third placegetter Cryptogram (So You Think).

The victory was a breakthrough stakes success for Mightybeel, who had finished runner-up to stablemate Polly Grey (NZ) (Azamour) at Listed level at his previous start.

“He certainly has been a good performer this preparation, he’s just had a bit of time to strengthen up and the New Zealand horses seem to come into their own once they do mature,” Waller said.

“A nice Hugh Bowman ride didn’t go astray, that was a ten out of ten performance from him and it makes it a bit easier when they ride them like that.

“I haven’t thought too much into where he heads next, today was the first time over 2400m and now that he’s ticked that box we’ll look at something similar no doubt in the next few weeks.”

The in-form stayer lumped 59kg topweight to victory on Saturday and Bowman was confident there was better things in store for the talented galloper.

“I think he’s a horse that you’ll see start to progress into the better class handicap staying races this autumn, I think he’s got that in his repertoire,” Bowman said.

“Carrying big weights against these horses, they’re probably the second tier or third tier. But I can see him, with a light weight being a progressive horse in better class races in the months to come.”

Mightybeel was purchased by Albert Bosma’s Go Racing for $200,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale from the Book 1 draft of Little Avondale Stud.

Bred by Barlow Thoroughbred Ltd, Mightybeel is by Savabeel out of the Alamosa mare Super Power (NZ) and comes from the extended family of Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel).

The gelding did his early education in New Zealand under Pukekohe horsewoman Kylie Grass, for whom he was a trial winner.

Mightybeel becomes the 122nd stakes winner for remarkable Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel.

View the full article