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Aegon takes thrilling New Zealand 2,000 Guineas
Late Waikato Stud-based sire Sacred Falls (O’Reilly) was handed his first top-flight winner courtesy of Aegon’s (3 g ex Toss Up by Zabeel) thrilling victory in the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday.
Unbeaten in all three career starts, the three-year-old was last seen narrowly getting the better of Bourbonaire (Darci Brahma) in the Hawke's Bay Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) and the pair did once battle again on Saturday, with the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Aegon once again coming out on top of another hard-fought contest, beating the son of Darci Brahma (Danehill) by a nose. Marine (Ocean Park) was another length and a quarter further away in third.
Forsman - who retains a share in the ownership of the gelding - said he was not sure they had won the race as Aegon and Bourbonaire locked horns on the line.
“I didn’t know whether he had won or not, so it’s just starting to sink in,” he said.
“They were going so slowly (in front) and he was in a tricky spot so I was worried but Leith had a lot of confidence in him.
“It’s pretty special and really hasn’t hit home yet but I’m just rapt to race the horse with a great bunch of people.
“It’s been a great ride the whole way through.”
The Zame family, who operate a fishing business in Gisborne, have had plenty of success over the last few years, racing the likes of Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Jon Snow (Iffraaj) and Futurity Stakes (Listed, 1400m) winner Rhaegar (Pluck).
All three horses were identified and purchased as yearlings by Forsman, and Bart Zame said the partnership owes its success to Forsman.
“We have managed to hitch ourselves to someone that seems to know what they are doing and seems to know it pretty well,” Zame said.
“That’s all Andrew Forsman, he is very selective in what he has a crack at and you can see it showing in his strike-rate.”
Purchased by Forsman for NZ$150,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, the gelding is one of four winner and first stakes winner out of the winning Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Toss Up.
Toss Up herself is out of stakes-placed mare Heads Or Tales (Tale Of The Cat), who is herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Good Faith (Straight Strike) - the dam of Group 3 winner Tully Dane (Danehill) and Listed scorer Mygoodgrace (Royal Academy). Good Faith is also the grandam of multiple Group 1 winner Daffodil (No Excuse Needed).
Toss Up’s 2018 filly by Tavaci (Tavistock) was purchased by Redgum Racing for NZ$150,000 at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling, while her weanling filly by the same sire was snapped up for NZ$13,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale.
Multiple Group 1 winner Sacred Falls sired his first stakes winner in September when All Saints' Eve landed the Tibbie Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) and unlucky not sire his first elite level winner on Thursday with Salto Angel finishing second in the VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) and he died at Waikato Stud from liver disease in December last year.