Dragon Leap (Pierro) has bowed out of racing with perhaps the greatest honour Matamata trainer Lance O’Sullivan could bestow on him.
Just one horse has previously been retired to Wexford Stables over its luminary history, and that was New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame sprinter Mr Tiz.
But O’Sullivan, whose late father Dave and brother Paul were both Hall of Fame trainer inductees from Wexford, has put Dragon Leap on a pedestal and given him a similar retirement distinction.
“Over all the years, we’ve only given one horse the privilege of being retired to Wexford Stables, that was the mighty Mr Tiz, and now Dragon Leap is the second one,” O’Sullivan said.
“That just lets you know how much he means to the team. I’ve been training 18 or 19 years now and I still believe he’s the best galloper I’ve trained. He didn’t win a Group win, he won three Group Twos, but there’s no doubt he’s the best horse we’ve trained that never won a Group One.”
Dragon Leap won six of his 26 starts in a career plagued by unsoundness.
As a three-year-old, he won three of his five starts, following success in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) at Ellerslie with a brilliant win in the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) at the same track. He finished fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in the final start of his Classic season.
He went winless in a handful of starts at four but resumed at five with a brave fourth placing in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, a finishing position he also filled in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Te Rapa. He was beaten a head in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben.
Last season he resumed with an open sprint win at Ruakaka, followed up with Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) success at Te Rapa then pushed Skew Wiff to a half-neck when second in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings.
He lost a plate when fourth in the Railway Stakes at Pukekohe and rounded out his season — and ultimately his career — when second in the Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie.
O’Sullivan and his training partner Andrew Scott had planned on racing Dragon Leap in Sunday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua before the decision was made to finish his career.
“He’s got a rare disorder, it’s like a tie-up that he’s developed late in his career,” O’Sullivan said.
“Andrew and I and the rest of the team have just decided he’s been such a wonderful horse to the stable and we don’t want to risk him.”
O’Sullivan and Scott will still have representation in the race, with Railway winner Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) taking on Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) winner Mercurial and Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) winner Bonny Lass in the Arawa Park feature.
Waitak has finished fourth in the Foxbridge Plate and fifth in the Tarzino Trophy in two runs back.
“He’s going really well. We just feel he’s got a bit more pep in his stride going in,” O’Sullivan said.
“At Te Rapa he was just a bit wooden legged, just didn’t have that acceleration toward the end and we think he’s certainly going better.
“He went to the paddock for about 10 days for a little freshen up. We know he can go a lot better than he did down at Hawke’s Bay and we’re confident he’s going to make his presence felt.
“We’ll target those races similar to what we did last season. This is the first of a few to run in. We’re going to get a good line on how he’s going because it’s a tidy lineup and certainly not going to be a walk in the park.”
O’Sullivan and Scott will chase further sprint spoils with Geriatrix (Almanzor) and stable newcomer Kelly Coe (NZ) (Proisir) tackling Saturday’s Gr.3 Valley D’vine Spring Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.
