Proven Thoroughbreds principal Jamie Walter has been rubbing his hands together as Sydney has been hit by a deluge of rain this week.
The syndicator will have a leading chance in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on Saturday in the form of wet track specialist Stockman, who has won four and placed in two of his seven starts on a Heavy surface.
The son of Tavistock has been aided by the wet weather in Sydney this autumn, winning the Gr.3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill for trainer Joe Pride before running home well for second behind Duais in the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Newcastle.
Walter said he has been a little bit surprised by how much the five-year-old gelding has improved this time in.
“He ran out of his skin last start,” Walter said. “If you said to me in the summer when we were campaigning him in races like the Villiers (Gr.2, 1600m) and the Summer Cup (Gr.3, 2000m), that he would run second in the Tancred I would have laughed at you, such is the improvement he has made this preparation.
“To be fair these New Zealand-bred staying horses can do that, as we have seen many times in the past.
“He has always had a terrific attitude. Joe has always loved the horse’s character and personality.
“On one level it is not that surprising to see him improve, but I didn’t expect him to improve so much. Notwithstanding the fact that he has been aided by the right ground for him.”
Walter purchased Stockman out of Cambridge Stud’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $175,000 in partnership with trainer John Thompson.
The smart stayer is out of the Zabeel mare Crimson, who landed the Gr.2 Championship Stakes (2100m) for trainer Jim Gibbs.
Bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan, Stockman’s dam was 22 when he was foaled and had left multiple Group Two winner Abidewithme and Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) runner-up Miss Scarlatti, as well as the stakes-placed A Fairy’s Kiss, dam of venerable galloper Destiny’s Kiss.
Stockman was initially in the care of Thompson before he was transferred to Joe Pride, who had plenty of stakes success with his close relation Destiny’s Kiss, who won 19 of his 102 starts and A$1.6 million.
“I bought him with John Thompson,” Walter said. “We subsequently had an amicable parting of ways which is why the horse is now trained by Joe Pride.
“He was a very tidy yearling – a typical New Zealand staying type. He was a big rangy fella with a great pedigree.
“It was a bit of a concern that he was by an aging sire out of a very old mare, he was the 12th foal. She was a very good, proven mare all the same.
“Physically he seemed a very attractive individual.
“That year the Tavistock’s dipped a little bit. The year or two prior when he won all the Derbys, they were paying silly money for them. I took the view that if he can sire as many Derby winners in one 12-month period as he did, you are going to come back as a sire, and that he certainly did.
“When we bought the horse with John, we already had horses with Joe. John had come to New Zealand and helped us select the horse. He initially went to him, but when we moved horses to Joe Pride, having the Destiny’s Kiss connection was a positive.”
While Walter is pleased with the conditions, he said the two-mile test is always an unknown variable.
“He is a superior wet-tracker, there is no question about that, you just have to have a look at his record,” he said.
“Two miles is another question altogether. Being on that Tavistock-Zabeel cross, and plenty of stamina on the Zabeel side, I find with two-mile racing you never know util you try them. And there is only one way to find out.”
While he is hoping for a good showing on Saturday, Walter said there should be plenty of excitement ahead for the gelding.
“Joe thinks the best is still all ahead of him, so let’s hope so,” Walter said.
