'Volpe' Thrills in Karaka 3YO Mile

A winner of the Listed Castletown S. in heavy going at Wanganui as a juvenile in June of 2016, Volpe Veloce landed the lucrative NZB Insurance Karaka 3yo Mile in thrilling fashion Sunday, keeping her perfect record in the process. Sitting fifth well off the fence through the early going the bay began to creep closer with 600 metres to travel. Spun four deep in upper stretch, the 5-1 chance briefly appeared to lack the needed acceleration, but soon took dead aim on stretch leaders Jon Snow and Heroic Valour inside the final 50 metres. Volpe Veloce got up in the last jump to win by a desperate nostril over Heroic Valour, who was a head in front of Jon Snow in third. The 9-5 favourite Sacred Elixir (NZ) (Pour Moi {Ire}) was a further 1 1/4 lengths behind in fourth.

“She was unbeaten coming into this and this was her toughest test,” hoop Michael Coleman told www.nzb.co.nz. “She had to be good to win today. She was going nicely, but hit a bit of a flat spot when they all sprinted at the corner. I was confident at the 200 [meter mark], but then the other horse [Heroic Valour] fought back strongly.”

“I had my eyes closed down the straight,” commented a relieved Graham Richardson, who had plucked the Aussie-bred out of the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale from the Lyndhurst Farm draft for NZ$240,000, after selling for A$120,000 as a weanling at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. “But she's a filly with a lot of grit. I still don't know how good she is, but she just keeps improving. This is a huge result for our stable, and it's fantastic for her great group of owners. This is what racing's all about.”

Resuming where she had left off as a 2-year-old, Volpe Veloce rattled off four straight wins prior to Sunday's test, including a first group victory two back in the G3 Eulogy S. at Awapuni Dec. 10, followed by the G2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat S. over course and distance as a Karaka warm-up Dec. 26. The G3 Blue Diamond Preview S. heroine Bardego, already responsible for Australian SW & MGSP Delago Bolt (Aus) (Delago Brom {Aus}), foaled a full-brother to Volpe Veloce in 2014 named Raposa Rapida (Aus), who has yet to race, and a full-sister in 2015. She produced a filly by Darley stallion Helmet in the fall of 2016. Click for the nzracing.co.nz chart or nzracing.co.nz Video.

Sunday's Results:
NZB INSURANCE KARAKA 3YO MILE, NZ$250,000 (US$181,625/£144,744/€169,780), Ellerslie, 1-29, 3yo, 1600mT, 1:35.01, gd.
1–VOLPE VELOCE (AUS), 120, f, 3, by Foxwedge (Aus)
1st Dam: Bardego (Aus) (GSW-Aus), by Barathea (Ire)
2nd Dam: Devil's Gold (Aus), by Bellotto
3rd Dam: Lilac Silk (Aus), by Dalmacia (NZ)
(A$120,000 Wlg '14 MGLMAY; NZ$240,000 Ylg '15 NWZJAN).
O-D & C Adams, H Allender, K Anderson, M Chubb, P Dixon, R
Featherstone, G Mackin, G Richardson, K & L Robinson, M
Skilling, P Spiers, B Wong & K Woodmass; B-Mr N Vass (Aus);
T-Graham Richardson; J-Michael Coleman. NZ$139,375.
Lifetime Record: MGSW-NZ, 7-7-0-0, $208,724. *1/2 to
Delago Bolt (Aus) (Delago Brom {Aus}), SW & MGSP-Aus,
$410,175.
2–Heroic Valour (Aus), 124, c, 3, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Myrrh
(NZ), by Nassipour. (NZ$400,000 Ylg '15 NWZJAN). O-Te Akau
2015 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: K W Fenton-Ellis MNZM);
B-Katom, Cobra Bloodstock Australia Pty Ltd (Aus); T-Stephen
Autridge & Jamie Richards. J-Michael Coleman. NZ$40,000.
3–Jon Snow (NZ),124, c, 3, Iffraaj (GB)–Orinda (NZ), by O'Reilly
(NZ). (NZ$65,000 Ylg '15 NWZJAN). O-Zame Partnership; B-R
W E Moore (NZ); T-Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman.
NZ$18,000.
Margins: NO, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.50, 4.40, 12.90.
Also Ran: Sacred Elixir (NZ), Romancer (NZ), Swissta (NZ), Stephenstihls (NZ), Soldier Field (NZ).
Scratched: Charles Road (Aus).