1 Jan 2022Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are excited by the staying future of our farm graduate Dionysus, and it was easy to see why at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
Our homebred son of Ocean Park had a wide barrier to contend with in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers’ Championship Final, but an ace ride from Opie Bosson negated the gate and the champion jockey quickly had the four-year-old on the leader’s quarters.
Dionysus hit the front soon after straightening and he answered every call in the run home to claim the 2400 metre feature.
“We’re pretty excited about this horse. He ran on Boxing Day and he’s still a bit weak and fragile so he’s done a great job on the back-up,” Wellwood said.
“He had to do a bit of work early on and he then let down strongly. He’s a really nice staying horse and will keep getting better.”
Dionysus, who has now won three of his 10 starts, was purchased out of our New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft by his trainers for $45,000 on behalf of James’ long-time clients Ron and Fran Dixon.
He is the first foal of the unraced Tavistock mare La Quinta who is from the family of the G3 Vanity Stakes winner and G1 South Australian Oaks placegetter Gold Lottey.
Dionysus has a half-sister by Embellish selling as Lot 909 from the Epona Park draft during the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.