By Heather Anderson
A winner of the 2015 edition of this race, Kawi justified 3.20 favoritism to double up in the 1400-metre G1 Makfi Challenge S., the first Group 1 of the New Zealand season and the first leg of the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown, at Hastings Saturday. Kawi was placed well off the fence in midpack, as G3 Epona S. victress Our Vergara (Aus) (Snippetson {Aus}) shouldered brief leadership duties, with listed winner and GSP Longchamp (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) just off her flank. Southern Icon (Aus) (Big Brown) joined the fray approaching the single bend, and seized command, as Kawi steadily improved to fourth by the time the field reached the straightaway. Fanned six deep under regular pilot Leith Innes, with whom he had teamed for all three of his previous Group 1 triumphs, Kawi forged clear in late stretch with longshots El Pescado and Farm Boy rounding out the top three placings. Longchamp tired to fourth.
“It's very satisfying–it was a challenge, but I knew I had the horse to do it with,” winning trainer Allan Sharrock told NZ Racing Desk. “He's in grand condition. It was a great effort and he dominated the field. I left it up to Leith [Innes] and he ended up logically where I thought. At weight-for-age, he's the best horse.”
“It was a very good effort and hats off to Allan–he was a fit horse today,” said Innes. “He won pretty easily in the end and with that run under his belt and a faster track on the second day, he's going to be hard to beat again.”
Kawi enjoyed five victories from 10 starts last campaign, including the aforementioned 2015 Makfi Challenge S. second up last August and made it two in a row going 1400 metres in an open race at Awapuni on Halloween. Second in the G2 Stella Artois Tauranga S. last November, Kawi regained the winning thread two starts later in the G2 Challenge S. at Awapuni Dec. 19 and landed Ellerslie's 2000-metre G1 Zabeel Classic Dec. 26 followed by the Jan. 23 G1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile to kick off 2016. The bay faltered to third in the G1 Herbie Dyke S. going 2000 metres Feb. 13 and dropped to fifth a fortnight later after overracing in the Feb. 27 G1 Haunui Farm Classic at Otaki.
Spelled since undergoing surgery to correct a wind issue, Kawi was forced to skip the 2016 G2 Foxbridge Plate, a regular lead-up to the Makfi, with a bruised cannon bone and won a 1000-metre barrier trail at Foxton July 19. He will target the second leg of the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown, the G1 Windsor Park Plate, Sept. 17, with connections mulling a possible Australian appearance later in the season.
“We'll be looking at Melbourne, but he will definitely be here for the second leg first,” Sharrock concluded.
Pedigree Notes:
Kawi's dam Magic Time (Volksraad {GB}) was acquired for only NZ$18,000 as a weanling out of the 2002 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale by John Goodin. Unraced, the bay has produced three winners from five runners, with Kawi her best representative to date. She has a 2-year-old Zed (NZ) filly, who has yet to make it to the races and a yearling filly by Rock 'n' Pop (Aus). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Saturday, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
MAKFI CHALLENGE STAKES (Hawke's Bay Challenge S.)-G1, NZ$200,000 (US$144,824/£110,245/€129,362/A$191,267), Hawke's Bay, 8-27, Open WFA, 1400mT, 1:24.87, Slow.
1–KAWI, 59.0, g, 6, by Savabeel (AUS)
1st Dam: Magic Time, by Volksraad (GB)
2nd Dam: Super Wench, by Last Tycoon (IRE)
3rd Dam: Honey Bunny Baby (USA), by Tank's Prospect (USA)
O-A A Baeyertz, J P Goodin, G A Macdonald, G H Phillips & Est
Late R W Sharrock; B-Mrs C M & J P Goodin, Central, NZ; T-S A
Sharrock; J-L G Innes; NZ$125,000. Lifetime Record: 25-12-6-2,
NZ$820,350. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–El Pescado, 59.0, g, 6, El Hermano–Annchips, by O'Reilly.
O/B-Mrs F I & F T Drummond, Waikato, NZ; T-R S Manning; J-C
E Lammas; NZ$40,000.
3–Farm Boy, 59.0, g, 6, El Hermano–Lady of Oakview, by
Diamond Express. O/B-A D Hayward, Waikato, NZ; T-T & M
Carter; J-H S Tinsley; NZ$20,000.
Margins: 1.3 len, 1.5 len, 2.3 len. Odds: 3.20, 29.0, 51.0.
Also Ran: Longchamp, Authentic Paddy, Battle Time, Our Vergara (AUS) , Mime, Capella, Stolen Dance, Hasselhoof, Bohemian Lily, Southern Icon (AUS) , Ginner Hart, No More Tears, Valley Girl.
Click for the Racing Post result, or the NZB Video.
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