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Hopes of a lucrative life after racing for Embellish were significantly boosted at Riccarton where he added a further top-flight victory to his family’s roll of honour.
The expensive yearling emulated his sister Diademe by winning at the highest level on Saturday in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and in doing so the classy colt significantly lifted his stallion profile.
“I’ve always liked him, he had raw ability as a two-year-old and I knew as a three-year-old he would be a top class colt,” successful rider Opie Bosson said.
A son of Waikato Stud’s champion sire Savabeel and the O’Reilly mare Bling, Embellish was purchased for $775,000 out of the Matamata farm’s 2016 Premier Sale draft at Karaka by Te Akau principal David Ellis.
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He was secured with a stallion career in mind and Embellish, whose relative Espumoso earlier maintained his unbeaten record with victory at Te Rapa, is now on the way to fulfilling that intention.
“He’s a very valuable colt and we would love to think that he will be standing at stud in the future,” Ellis said.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Embellish trailed Ever Loyal throughout and, when he came off the leader’s back into the straight, the handsome brown three-year-old quickly asserted his superiority to draw clear.
“I was in the perfect position and tracked Ever Loyal all the way and I knew I had him covered at the 600,” Bosson said.
He has now won the Guineas seven times and it was the sixth for the powerful Te Akau operation.
“It’s a stallion making race and this bloke has a top future,” Richards said. “Opie gave him a super ride in the trail.”
The stable also produced the runner-up Age Of Fire and the fourth placed Te Akau Shark, a perfect result only spoiled by the effort of the Tony Pike-trained Ever Loyal to hold third money.
“Everybody was asking me before the race which was the best one, but I couldn’t tip one and all three have gone very well,” Richards said.
“It’s a great result for everyone, the staff here and at home and for David (Ellis), who bought all three horses.” – NZ Racing Desk.