Kiwi galloper Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins) fashioned a remarkable victory last night, with a flashing finish in the Group 1 ¥185,900,000 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) at Japan's Chukyo Racecourse.
The New Zealand suffix was to the fore as Aerovelocity was not only the
first New Zealand horse to win the international sprint race but the first
international contestant to take victory in the race's history.
"I've trained a lot of good horses in my career but he is possibly the greatest horse I have ever trained," exclaimed his glowing Hong Kong-based Kiwi trainer Paul O'Sullivan.
Aerovelocity now totals nine wins from his 17 starts, including two Group 1 wins having previously won the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, plus the HK-2 Premier Bowl Handicap and the HK-3 Sha Tin Vase.
Aerovelocity initially raced in New Zealand under the name Naisoso Warrior with trainer Andrew Scott where he won on debut before relocating to O'Sullivan's Sha Tin stable.
"Japan is an extremely difficult place to win a race," commented O'Sullivan. "Every trainer around the world now respects the quality of horses in Japan.
"We certainly had the form to warrant coming, but to have been able to achieve this race is very, very satisfying. In particular in the manner that he did it – I think we made it clear before that he's a very courageous horse and you don't see many that pick themselves up off the deck and do what he did."
Aerovelocity was sharply sent forward in the early stages by jockey Zac Purton and settled in second position behind front-runner Am Ball Bleiben (Rule of Law). Hakusan Moon (Admire Moon) contested the early runners on the outside as the field of 18 approached the turn for home while Aerovelocity continued at a steady tempo one off the rail.
Swinging off the corner, Aerovelocity peeled further away from the rail to race to the outside of Am Ball Bleiben in the centre of the track but no sooner dropped back behind Hakusan Moon while Mikki Isle approached to put himself in the race with 250m left to run.
It was a three-horse race towards the end as Aerovelocity and Mikki Isle attempted to catch Hakusan Moon. Aerovelocity dug deep in the final moments and took the Group 1 feature with a powerful finish by half-a-length over Hakusan Moon who held on for second place and Mikki Isle finishing in third.
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is the third leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, an international championship series for sprinters which has become a 10-race series in six different countries. To be eligible for the US$1 million on offer, a horse must win a GSC race in three countries, where one win can be in the country the horse is trained. The final race in the Series is on Aerovelocity's home turf, with the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint on 13 December.
"There's a number of attractive opportunities for him over the next 12 to 18 months," said O'Sullivan. "I think we have to be pretty mindful of the Global Sprint trophy – it's a great prize and possibly winnable – but I haven't shed much light on that or given it much thought. So we'll have to consider that and discuss our options depending of course on how he is what's best for him."
The six-year-old gelding has now earned a total of NZ$4,274,864 in prizemoney for his owner Daniel Yeung Ngai.
Paul O'Sullivan purchased the son of Pins at NZB's 2010 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$120,000 from Windsor Park Stud.
Bred by Nelson Schick and Steve Till, Aerovelocity is out of winning mare Exodus (Kaapstad). The dam is a full-sister to Kapitain Kash (Kaapstad), winner of the Group 2 Rotorua Cup and a half-sister to Dante's Paradiso (Danske), winner of the Listed Tattersalls Club Cup.
NZB Release
