Dal Cielo, Sakhee's Soldier Win in NZ
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A determined Dal Cielo hit the front 100 meters from the finish line and won the Haunui Farm Diamond Stakes (NZ-I) for 2-year-olds March 7 at Ellerslie.
The son of Per Incanto, just recovered from a foot ailment, was ridden by Opie Bosson and is trained at Cambridge by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman. The trio took last week's New Zealand Derby (NZ-I) with Mongolian Khan.
Saturday's card included the Ronald McDonald House Charities New Zealand Stakes (NZ-I), won by Sakhee's Soldier, who also is trained by Baker and Forsman.
In the Diamond, Dal Cielo scored by 1 3/4 lengths over Battle Time while stamping himself the season's leading juvenile. Rocanto took third, about two lengths back in the field of nine.
Third in the Karaka Million from a far outside post position Jan. 25 last time out, Dal Cielo was settled into the third spot early in the Diamond, just behind Link Road and Battle Time. As the field rounded the home turn Link Road and Battle Time broke away to fight out the finish, but Link Road faded and Dal Cielo was quickly up to join Battle Time for a few strides before pulling away to a 1 3/4-length triumph.
The final time was 1:10.66 for 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) on a track rated good.
"He's a very good colt this guy," Baker said. "We'll probably have a go at the Manawatu Sires' Produce (NZ-I) (March 28) and he's also nominated for the Sires' Produce (Aus-I) at Randwick, but that's a big step up again.
"We thought he may have been a touch under done after a bit of a hiccup a few weeks ago, but his class told. It was a beautiful ride from Opie."
Campaigned by the partnership Lib Patagna and the Homebush Partnership No 5 Syndicate, Dal Cielo was bred in New Zealand by Little Avondale Trust. His dam is the stakes-placed Centaine mare Cent From Heaven, who also produced New Zealand group III winner Eloa as well as dam of 2011 Australasian Oaks (Aus-I) winner Lights of Heaven.
Bosson was thwarted in his attempt to get 2014 Australian Oaks (Aus-I) winner Rising Romance to the finish line first in the New Zealand Stakes for her late trainer, Dean Morgan, who died just two days prior to the race after a long battle with throat cancer.
Sakhee's Soldier and jockey Matthew Cameron got the nod in a tight finish, denying Rising Romance by a nose. Rising Romance's connections lodged a claim of interference, asserting the winner came over on their runner on the turn. But the result stood.
Fast Dragon was the leader for most of the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) race, with Farm Boy, Sakhee's Soldier, and Lauren Tate close on the pace. As they surged toward the post Rising Romance made her move, and for a moment appeared to inch to the front, but Sakhee's Soldier would not give in. Farm Boy finished a long neck back in third.
The 4-year-old son of Sakhee's Secret covered the distance in 2:06.03, turning the tables on Rising Romance, who beat him in his third-place finish his previous start Feb. 14 at Ellerslie. Saturday's win was his first at the highest level and eighth from 14 career starts.
Owned by partnership, Sakhee's Soldier was bred in New Zealand by The Oaks Stud from the winning Machiavellian mare Surreptitious. He is from the family of top U.S. broodmare Kittiwake.