4 Mar 2022Trainer, co-breeder and part-owner Raymond Connors has no intention of entertaining any offers for Trav, a handsome son of Almanzor who posted an impressive debut victory at Awapuni.
Connors was confident of a bold first-up showing over 1200 metres by the two-year-old and he wasn’t disappointed.
“He’s obviously showed us a fair bit at home and I thought he would run well, but he won’t be for sale,” he said.
Placed at the Foxton trials last month, Trav settled back on the fence and was angled off the rail before the turn and finished strongly in the hands of rider Sarah Macnab.
Connors said he had no plans for Trav and would see how he progressed in the coming days before making any decisions on the youngster’s future.
“I’ll wait and see how he does, he’s a good eater and I think he will keep improving.”
Trav is a son of the winning Savabeel mare Royal Sav, who is a half-sister to the two-time G3 Stewards’ Handicap winner Prince Oz and also has a yearling colt by Almanzor.
“He’s a nice type and a bit finer and probably not as big as Trav when he was a yearling,” Connors said.
The G1 Auckland Cup winner Roger That and the three-time Group 3 winner De Montfort feature in the pedigree.
It is also the family of the Connors-raced and trained G2 Wellington Cup winner Blood Brotha and their G3 Manawatu Classic winner and G1 New Zealand Derby placegetter King Jonny.
Almanzor will be well-represented at next week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka, including 11 quality individuals in our Book 1 draft.