A spur of the moment decision to run Balzano (NZ) (Shooting To Win) at Ashburton has paid dividends for Nikki White after the underrated galloper powered to victory in the Agraforum Growing Innovation (1400m) on Thursday.
Based out of Omakau in Central Otago, White had been running Balzano at Rating 65 grade including a mile contest last Sunday at Wingatui, where he finished fourth and six lengths adrift of the winner in Miss Belle (NZ) (Belardo).
On the back-up, Balzano was facing a drop back in distance and a sharp rise in class in the open handicap at Ashburton which featured the likes of Rating 83 gallopers Lord Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Louie Louie (NZ) (Zacinto), rating him the $12.40 outsider in a condensed TAB market.
In the hands of Terry Moseley, the son of Shooting To Win was assertive early from barrier six and sat outside pacemaker Arctic Glow (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), making his claim as he travelled strongly into the home straight. The three-year-old didn’t let up as Kelvin Tyler’s pair Master Marko (NZ) (Contributer) and Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) gave chase, kicking away at the line to score by 1-¼ lengths.
The victory gave local hoop Moseley an early double after he claimed the opener aboard Smooth Operator (NZ) (Turn Me Loose).
White was admittedly surprised and rapt with the result after putting in a late entry two days prior.
“It was completely out of the blue to run him here, I just did a late nomination on Tuesday morning and decided to come up,” she said.
“I had a feeling that he could run well and be thereabouts, but I didn’t expect him to win.
“We have got him nominated for the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m), so we’ll press on for that hopefully with a run in between at Oamaru in the open mile and go from there.”
After opening a $101 chance, Balzano has moved to $61 in the TAB Futures Market for the Grand National Week feature, which will be run at Riccarton Park on August 3.
The gelding commenced his career under Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, for whom he recorded a win and two placings in six starts, among these attempts was a tough run in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November.
Balzano was subsequently offered for sale on gavelhouse.com in early February, and the White’s combined with co-owner Dave Coleman to purchase him for $25,000.
“He had some form up north and I had an owner quite keen to have something up and ready to go, so we went halves in buying him,” White said.
“At his first start down here at Invercargill he ran 10 lengths last which wasn’t a great start, but he had a few issues with his knees that we fixed up and he’s just gotten better and better from there.”
Out of Dylan Thomas mare Holly Holy, Balzano was bred by Monovale Holdings and has earned $46,825 through his 12-start career.
