Ugo Foscolo
Trish Dunell
Commanding favourite Ugo Foscolo was given a serious test at Te Rapa and the highly-regarded youngster responded with a record-breaking performance.
The hot pot set a new course mark of 1.03.54 for the 1100 metres in the Listed Hamilton Vets Equine Stakes and in the process maintained his unbeaten record.
Ugo Foscolo was on the slick early tempo before rider Michael Coleman eased him back and the son of Zacinto, whose daughter had earlier landed the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes at Riccarton, then finished determinedly to down Memories Only.
"They ran hard up front and that other horse is pretty smart – he kicked very hard and certainly wasn't stopping," said trainer Stephen Marsh, who also won the event 12 months ago with No More Tears.
"The margin wasn't big, but we can take plenty out of the race and times tell everything."
A runaway winner on an unsuitably soft track at Rotorua last month, Ugo Foscolo will now go to the paddock and return in the spring with Group One business to attend to.
"He'll go to the paddock now and I'll have a meeting with the owners later on, but I think we'll be looking solely at the 2000 Guineas," Marsh said.
"I rate him extremely highly – he's a serious horse and what he's done so far proves that. He's capable of much bigger and better things."
The runner-up Memories Only is also headed for the spelling paddock with owner-trainer Linda Laing considering a future Melbourne campaign for the son of Patapan. – NZ Racing Desk.
The hot pot set a new course mark of 1.03.54 for the 1100 metres in the Listed Hamilton Vets Equine Stakes and in the process maintained his unbeaten record.
Ugo Foscolo was on the slick early tempo before rider Michael Coleman eased him back and the son of Zacinto, whose daughter had earlier landed the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes at Riccarton, then finished determinedly to down Memories Only.
"They ran hard up front and that other horse is pretty smart – he kicked very hard and certainly wasn't stopping," said trainer Stephen Marsh, who also won the event 12 months ago with No More Tears.
"The margin wasn't big, but we can take plenty out of the race and times tell everything."
A runaway winner on an unsuitably soft track at Rotorua last month, Ugo Foscolo will now go to the paddock and return in the spring with Group One business to attend to.
"He'll go to the paddock now and I'll have a meeting with the owners later on, but I think we'll be looking solely at the 2000 Guineas," Marsh said.
"I rate him extremely highly – he's a serious horse and what he's done so far proves that. He's capable of much bigger and better things."
The runner-up Memories Only is also headed for the spelling paddock with owner-trainer Linda Laing considering a future Melbourne campaign for the son of Patapan. – NZ Racing Desk.
