10 Nov 2017Hopes of a lucrative life after racing for Embellish were significantly boosted at Riccarton where he added a further top-flight victory to his family’s roll of honour.
The expensive yearling emulated his sister Diademe by winning at the highest level on Saturday in the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and in doing so the classy colt significantly lifted his stallion profile.
“I’ve always liked him, he had raw ability as a two-year-old and I knew as a three-year-old he would be a top class colt,” successful rider Opie Bosson said.
A son of Waikato Stud’s champion sire Savabeel and the O’Reilly mare Bling, Embellish was purchased for $775,000 out of the Matamata farm’s 2016 Premier Sale draft at Karaka by Te Akau principal David Ellis.
He was secured with a stallion career in mind and Embellish, whose relative Espumoso earlier maintained his unbeaten record with victory at Te Rapa, is now on the way to fulfilling that intention.
“He’s a very valuable colt and we would love to think that he will be standing at stud in the future,” Ellis said.
The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Embellish trailed Ever Loyal throughout and, when he came off the leader’s back into the straight, the handsome brown three-year-old quickly asserted his superiority to draw clear.
“I was in the perfect position and tracked Ever Loyal all the way and I knew I had him covered at the 600,” Bosson said.
He has now won the Guineas seven times and it was the sixth for the powerful Te Akau operation.
“It’s a stallion making race and this bloke has a top future,” Richards said. “Opie gave him a super ride in the trail.”
The stable also produced the runner-up Age Of Fire and the fourth placed Te Akau Shark, a perfect result only spoiled by the effort of the Tony Pike-trained Ever Loyal to hold third money.
“Everybody was asking me before the race which was the best one, but I couldn’t tip one and all three have gone very well,” Richards said.
“It’s a great result for everyone, the staff here and at home and for David (Ellis), who bought all three horses.”