Could Puccini be the next It’s a Dundeel?
The Encosta de Lago sophomore certainly has lofty expectations to live up to
if he is to reach the heights of that five-time Group 1-winning New Zealand
import, but he is nonetheless on track to emulate It’s a Dundeel
with a victory in the Group 1 Australian Derby following his rousing score in the Group 1 NZ Derby
on Saturday at Ellerslie.
Puccini did not set himself an easy task, fighting jockey Michael Walker while racing
fourth last early. Switching to the outside on the run into the turn, Puccini was up with the
leaders in a matter of strides, and in front by a length at the top of lane. Kicking clear
thereafter, he was never in danger, winning by a wrapped up two-lengths from the fast-finishing filly
Rising Romance.
“He’s gone up 10 levels and he’s the best horse in New Zealand,” Walker told
Breednet.com.au. “If they backed him up next week in the weight-for-age (Group 1 NZ Stakes) he’d beat
(2012 NZ Derby winner) Silent Achiever.”
Co-trainer Peter McKay confirmed a crack at the Australian Derby at Royal Randwick’s The Championships is the cards.
“He’s dominated them here,
so we’ll go over and have a crack at the Derby,” McKay told Breednet.com.au. “That was
huge and sometimes he can walk out of the gates and from wide draws he can work his
way across, but from the inside Michael didn’t panic. He dragged his own way forward and
he’s got an enormous heart — there were no excuses for anything else.”
It took Puccini eight starts to break his maiden, which
he accomplished in October, and he has since been nearly unstoppable. His only two losses
since have come at the Group 1 level in the NZ Two Thousand Guineas and Levin Classic, both over
1600 meters. The colt won the Group 2 Great North Guineas over that distance, and seems to have enjoyed
stretching out, winning the Group 2 Waikato Guineas going 2000 meters and Group 2 Avondale
Guineas at 2100 meters prior to Saturday’s score.
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