Xiong Feng wins the Karaka Million
Photo: Trish Dunell
Unbeaten two-year-old Xiong Feng left no excuses for his race rivals when he used brilliant early speed and a perfect barrier draw to lead all the way in New Zealand's richest race, the Listed Karaka Million.
Successful at his first two starts, the baldy white faced chestnut son of Iffraaj set tongues wagging early in the contest when he jumped straight to the lead and defied the early challenge of race favourite Manolo Blahniq to control the pacemaking duties.
On a day where on pace runners had been favoured rider Danielle Johnson set up a steady tempo as she took charge of the race from the front. Rounding the home turn the Stephen McKee and Eddie Chippendale prepared gelding slipped a length clear of his rivals and set sail for the winning post. Although hotly challenged by firstly Caorunn and then the late closing Showmeyamoneyhoney and Kingsman, Johnson and Xiong Feng had enough up their sleeves to repel all rivals to score in 1.09.68 for the 1200 metre journey.
Syndicate spokesperson Tan Kim Chua Stanley was almost lost for words as he waited for the winner to return to the Ellerslie birdcage.
"It's good mate, just feels great mate," he uttered to reporters as the realisation of the win began to sink in.
"We found him at the sales last year and initially thought he might be a late three-year-old but now he's won us this race. It's beautiful, just beautiful and I'm pretty speechless really."
Co-trainer Stephen McKee was delighted to finally get a win in the race after preparing Raid to run third in the initial running of the event along with O'Marilyn who filled the same position in 2014.
"He's a big strong horse who drew the right alley," he said.
"I said to Danielle if she jumped well to not give the lead away too cheaply although I did think he might be going to get run over close to home but he's a real good horse, a real fighter.
"He's quite untapped as he just does what he has to. He doesn't show us a lot at home so we didn't really know just how good he was until we brought him to a race like this."
McKee admitted he was fairly confident leading into the race as the gelding's formline was sound.
"He'd beaten The Soultaker and Gasoline who both look pretty smart," he noted.
"He had shown plenty in the wet so I wondered if the better track would bring them back to him a little but in the end he did a good job.
"We've run a couple of placings in the race so to finally get a win is a great result."
Minor placegetters Showmeyamoneyhoney and Kingsman both delighted their connections although they will take different paths in the immediate future with the Lisa Latta trained Showmeyamoneyhoney heading to the spelling paddock while Kingsman will be set for the Gr. 1 Sistema Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie in March.
The race was also a triumph for local breeders Haunui Farm with their stallions Iffraaj and Showcasing producing the race quinella twelve months after Showcasing colt Hardline was successful in the 2015 edition of the contest. – NZ Racing Desk
Successful at his first two starts, the baldy white faced chestnut son of Iffraaj set tongues wagging early in the contest when he jumped straight to the lead and defied the early challenge of race favourite Manolo Blahniq to control the pacemaking duties.
On a day where on pace runners had been favoured rider Danielle Johnson set up a steady tempo as she took charge of the race from the front. Rounding the home turn the Stephen McKee and Eddie Chippendale prepared gelding slipped a length clear of his rivals and set sail for the winning post. Although hotly challenged by firstly Caorunn and then the late closing Showmeyamoneyhoney and Kingsman, Johnson and Xiong Feng had enough up their sleeves to repel all rivals to score in 1.09.68 for the 1200 metre journey.
Syndicate spokesperson Tan Kim Chua Stanley was almost lost for words as he waited for the winner to return to the Ellerslie birdcage.
"It's good mate, just feels great mate," he uttered to reporters as the realisation of the win began to sink in.
"We found him at the sales last year and initially thought he might be a late three-year-old but now he's won us this race. It's beautiful, just beautiful and I'm pretty speechless really."
Co-trainer Stephen McKee was delighted to finally get a win in the race after preparing Raid to run third in the initial running of the event along with O'Marilyn who filled the same position in 2014.
"He's a big strong horse who drew the right alley," he said.
"I said to Danielle if she jumped well to not give the lead away too cheaply although I did think he might be going to get run over close to home but he's a real good horse, a real fighter.
"He's quite untapped as he just does what he has to. He doesn't show us a lot at home so we didn't really know just how good he was until we brought him to a race like this."
McKee admitted he was fairly confident leading into the race as the gelding's formline was sound.
"He'd beaten The Soultaker and Gasoline who both look pretty smart," he noted.
"He had shown plenty in the wet so I wondered if the better track would bring them back to him a little but in the end he did a good job.
"We've run a couple of placings in the race so to finally get a win is a great result."
Minor placegetters Showmeyamoneyhoney and Kingsman both delighted their connections although they will take different paths in the immediate future with the Lisa Latta trained Showmeyamoneyhoney heading to the spelling paddock while Kingsman will be set for the Gr. 1 Sistema Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie in March.
The race was also a triumph for local breeders Haunui Farm with their stallions Iffraaj and Showcasing producing the race quinella twelve months after Showcasing colt Hardline was successful in the 2015 edition of the contest. – NZ Racing Desk