Bold Mac (NZ) (The Bold One) has required patient handling and the waiting tactics are being rewarded with the progressive four-year-old having made an encouraging start to his career.
Trained by Colin Cromarty, he has won two of his five starts over 1200m and will attempt to add to his burgeoning record when he runs in the Noel Eales Memorial (1400m) at Awapuni on Boxing Day.
Bold Mac made his seasonal debut on the Palmerston North course last month and his fresh-up victory there earned him a trip north to Te Rapa where he finished second.
He was narrowly beaten by Tevere (NZ) (Contributer) and with likely black type targets in the imminent future of the Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained mare, Bold Mac’s form takes on further significance.
“He’s going well and is doing everything right now. He used to over think the job all the time, but he was a lot better the other day so hopefully he has turned the corner,” Cromarty said.
Bold Mac was bred by evergreen Wanganui racing identity Bernie Gudsell, who races the gelding with his family.
The Waverley-based horseman also believes the horse will be far better-suited by Saturday’s 1400m trip.
“I’ve always said to the others that I don’t believe he is a genuine 1200m horse and I know he won first-up, but I think he will go further,” Cromarty said.
Bold Mac is a son of the Fastnet Rock stallion The Bold One, who retired to Grangewilliam Stud in 2016 after winning four times and placed in the Listed Levin Stakes (1200m) for trainer Allan Sharrock.
“He’s a beautifully-bred horse and there aren’t many Fastnet Rock stallions around and he’s out of one of the best families in New Zealand,” Cromarty said. “He’s leaving nice types as well.”
The Bold One is out of the dual Group One winner The Jewel (NZ) (O’Reilly), also the dam of the four-time Group Three winner The Diamond One (Tale of the Cat), stakes winner The Precious One (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Group placegetter The Glitzy One (Flying Spur), dam of the champion New Zealand stayer The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel).
Cromarty will also be represented at Awapuni by Skarloey (NZ) (Per Incanto) in the Manawatu Standard Summer Cup (1550m).
The son of Per Incanto has won five of his 25 starts and hinted he could be returning to his best form when a last-start sixth.
“He was better at Wanganui, we’ve just had a few issues with his shoeing and he had been hitting himself so we’re trying to get on top of that and I think we’re getting there,” Cromarty said.
He began his racing career in Wanganui where he was apprenticed to Frank Podjursky, but his time in the saddle was cut short by weight problems after he had ridden three winners from limited opportunities.
Cromarty subsequently mixed training with the management of an earth-moving company before the took on the role as track manager at Waverley where he has been for the last 16 years.
