Adventador, Dukedom Pull Trentham Upsets

Adventador relished the less-than-ideal track conditions at Trentham Jan. 16 and pulled an unlikely victory in the JR&N Berkett Telegraph (NZ-I), scoring his first group win in an 80-1 upset.

 

The Telegraph was part of a group I double header on Saturday's card. Two races earlier, Dukedom won the Woodridge Homes Levin Classic at 26-1 odds. 

 

Leading rider Matt Cameron picked up the mount on the edgy Adventador when his original mount Procurement failed to make the field. The 7-year-old son of Fast 'N' Famous led all the way and repelled the late bid of Miss Seton Sands to win by one-length. Trepidation was third.

 

"He gave himself a fright before the race by jumping the rail, but then he cruised along nicely," Cameron said of the winner, who covered 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) in 1:08.35 on a track rated as dead. "He changed leg in the straight, but he had enough momentum to keep going."

 

New Zealand champion sprinter Sacred Star was the well-backed favorite in the field of 18, but only paddled along midfield showing none of his usual zip.  

 

Adventador, who is trained by Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen as a homebred of Tony and Vicki Rider's Milan Park Stud, has had some health problems that have comprised his racing career. 

 

"He's had a wind operation and he's got a plate in his leg," Lowery said of the winner, who has a 7-6-2 record from 24 career starts that includes is victory in the 2014 Levin Stakes at Trentham. 

 

Adventador is out of the Khozaam mare Alpine Beauty, also the dam of group III winner Winning Glory (One Cool Cat) and group III-placed stakes winner Alpine Delight, herself a stakes producer. Alpine Beauty is a full sister to Lovers Knot, the dam of Australian champion and 2008 Melbourne Cup (Aus-I) winner Viewed.

 

The Levin Classic for 3-year-olds also resulted in an upset when Cameron's mount, 2015 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (NZ-I) victor Xtravagant, the favorite, failed after a heroic effort to lead all the way.

 

At the 200 meter-mark with challengers from the rapidly closing from the pack Xtravagant ran out of steam. Son of Maher was handy as was Rangipo, but swooping from last was 26-1 outsider Dukedom, who raced with them for a stride or two then thrust out his head for Lisa Allpress in the nick of time.

 

Son of Maher was a short head second, Rangipo was 1 3/4 lengths back third, with Xtravagant fourth.

 

Dukedom covered 1,600 meters (about one mile) in 1:36.95 at 26-1 odds and got his first stakes win. The son of Bachelor Duke provided Byerley Park horseman Steven Cole with his first group I win as a trainer. 

 

"I didn't think he was going to pick them up, but he's a very, very good horse," said Cole, who races Dukedom with his father, David.

 

Dukedom has a 2-1-2 record from six career starts. He came into the Levin Classic off a third to Rangipo in the Jan. 1 Great Northern Guineas (NZ-II), in which he was in tight quarters and could not get a clear run.

 

Dukedom, who is out of the Bianconi mare Bianca Bay, will now be given a short break before he takes in the group II Avondale Guineas on his way to the BMW New Zealand Derby (NZ-I).