Reflections: What's the Story, New Zealand Derby

What's the Story, New Zealand Derby

I stumbled across a video of What's the Story (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus})'s Feb. 20 2100-metre Benchmark 65 victory at Ellerslie and was immediately hooked on the horse, especially when connections said the strapping brown colt would be pointing toward the G1 New Zealand Derby stepped up 300 metres

Mar. 5. There was something about his measured neck victory that day, after sitting near the back third of the field, encountering more than his share of traffic issues to avoid a stricken rival, surging widest in the straight, and gobbling up ground–like a Cookie Monster let loose in a pattisserie–to salute, that stuck in my mind.

Fast forward to the Classic itself, and I was thrilled with the result, despite the fact that What's the Story ran second by a short head (video). Kept to the inside for the majority of the race in midpack, pilot Sam Spratt sent the son of Savabeel two off the fence for his run turning into the home straight, before switching him back to the rail. What's the Story produced another stirring turn of foot, but ran out of time, missing by a short head to Rangipo (Aus) (Stryker {Aus}), who had enjoyed a trouble-free run on the front end. A delayed arrival to Randwick for the G1 Australian Derby produced a sixth-place finish Apr. 2, and a fifth-place run in a Benchmark 85 is What's the Story's lone start this season. I am still holding out hope that he will deliver a group win in the New Year.