CLICK HERE TO GO BACK

Krug’s superstar qualities turned pre-race concern into post-race jubilation as he left his rivals in his wake in a brilliant New Zealand Derby win at Addington on Friday night.



Driver Blair Orange seized the opportunity to control the Group One feature in front and in the process delivered the quickest of answers following a week of pontificating by fans and pundits over how the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained colt would handle his wide front row.

The result afterwards was both predictable and a delight to the three-year-old’s army of fans as Krug and Orange never gave their rivals even a slight look-in in the home straight.

In winning, the star colt joined a select group of winners of both the New Zealand and Northern derbies.
After taking his camp on a wild ride during his incredible Northern Derby win, Cran Dalgety admitted this time relief was one of his overriding emotions.
“It is actually a thrill just to win one, let alone two.”

“Coming into tonight expectations were high that he would perform – that he would win and do this and that.”
“But as a trainer you just can’t take that on board until the job is actually done.”
“It is a big thrill and a big relief as much as it is a big thrill.”

Krug came to be a dual derby winner during a hectic three-year-old season, packed with two-year-old features rescheduled because of COVID19.

The Dalgety stable have expertly guided their star colt through a busy schedule and under their management Krug just keeps getting better.

Cran was modest when he and his wife were credited for an outstanding training performance.
“We planned to do this, we planned to get him fit and planned to get him healthy.”

“But the last percentage is in the lap of the gods and we were lucky in that respect.”
“Blair was able to drive him hard and he was still good enough to fight the others off.”

The Harness Jewels are the next target for New Zealand’s star three-year-old.

Beyond that the Dalgety camp are spoilt for choice with plenty of age-group features to target across the Tasman.

Though nothing has been confirmed, the Dalgety stable is leaning towards venturing to Australia rather than aiming their derby winning star at the New Zealand Cup.
“What to do next is a very good question and a very hard one to answer," Cran said.

“To answer it half-pie, sure we would love to be in the New Zealand Cup.”

“But I don’t want to miss the age-group racing on the way through because we can’t back-pedal on that.”
“The New Zealand Cup will always be there every 365 days.”

“You are only three once and to tentatively put it forward, I would love to have a crack at another derby or two in Australia.”

The Dalgety camp have the Rising Sun (July 10), the Queensland Derby (July 24), Victoria Derby (October 9) and the Australasian Breeders Crown (November 21) as possible targets.

B D Joe chased hard from the trail to run second behind Krug, his second Group One second placing following his runner-up effort behind It’s All About Faith in the Sires Stakes Final.

The Falcon followed the quinella makers through from three-deep on the markers to run third.


Credit: Jonny Turner

It’s All About Faith took a crucial step forward when nabbing a game B D Joe in a thrilling finish to the Sires Stakes Final on New Zealand Cup Day.



The towering three-year-old continued trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s domination of the 1980m Group 1 feature by nailing his northern rival on the passing lane inside the last 50m.

Though he has been clearly established as a star of his age group since first hitting the track, It’s All About Faith has been a constant work in progress for his master trainers.

The colt’s tendency to over-race has seen him having owners Dennis and Mark Dunford having to settle with Group 1 second placings and another runner-up finish in the recent Harness Million final.

It’s All About Faith rewarded his camp for their fine tuning and patience courtesy of some quick thinking from Purdon after B D Joe blasted out of the gate to cross to the lead.

Rather than do the expected – zip around to the front with his $2.40 favourite – the champion reinsman took a gamble and slotted into the trail.
“I could have pushed the issue for another 100m, but I thought it could have been our undoing too,” Purdon said.

“At the Cup Trials I let him come to me, I am trying to teach him to take a trail.”

“And today he settled and just drifted a length or a length and a half off the leader’s back.”

It’s All About Faith not only bagged a deserved group 1 victory, he gave Purdon confidence he could again have the measure of his key rivals B D Joe, Krug (fourth) and American Dealer (sixth) when stepping up to the 2600m and 2700m of this year’s derbies.

“Today I was just so pleased with him because he has worried me going over distance – whether he can do it.”
“But the way he was today I wouldn’t be worried at all.”
It’s All About Faith showed he still has a trick or two up his sleeve when putting his head on his side as he clinched his group 1 win.

The victory was the sixth consecutive win in the race for the All Stars stable following on from One Change, Ultimate Sniper, Chase Auckland, Ultimate Machete, Lazarus and Have Faith In Me.

B D Joe was brave in second for trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer and driver Benjamin Butcher.
The runner-up just succumbing to the winner in the last few strides of the race.

“We were thrilled,” Steve Telfer said.
“We were pleased he was able to take advantage of his good draw and he fought all of the way up the straight.”
B D Joe’s fighting effort came in just his sixth start, suggesting he has as much upside as any horse going forward from today’s group 1 feature.

The Telfer barn plan to look after the pacer as best they can to help him snare a group 1.

“That is what we are hoping – but they have still got to step up and do it,” Telfer said.

“He has been on a very steep curve so far and he has handled everything that we have thrown at him.”
“So long as we look after him and place him right he should continue to develop.”

B D Joe held second by over a tenacious Aladdin, who sat parked for the entirety of the Sires Stakes Final.

Credit : Johnny Turner, Harnesslink, 10 Nov 2020


Credit: Harnesslink