The hot favourite,
Balaq (Keeper x Cheval Noir), justified his strong support with a very comfortable win in the final event at the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting at Riccarton on Wednesday.
Trained by part-owner Kevin Myers, Balaq won the 1400m race by two and three quarter lengths and was never under any pressure. He has now won twice from only three race-day outings to date.
His winning debut came at the Egmont race-meeting on October 11 and that was followed up by a fourth in the Listed Canterbury Stakes at the North Canterbury meeting on October 26.
The win by three-year-old Balaq capped a fantastic week for the progeny of Keeper (by Danehill) who stands at Cambridge Stud.
Last Saturday Keeper sired two winners at the Te Rapa race-meeting,
Keepolaria and
Keeperinthemyst, as well as the Hong Kong winner,
Bouncer.