11 Apr 2008
Impeccably-bred two-year-old colt
Sufficient made a one horse race of Saturday's Listed $55,000 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie and in doing so provided his champion sire, Zabeel, with his 114th individual stakes winner.
Sufficient, trained by Bruce Wallace at Takanini, was a $120,000 yearling purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock Sales at Karaka. He is out of the Group 2 winning mare, Fleur De Chine, who has also left the Group 1 SAJC Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder. Sufficient was bred by Hong Kong-based New Zealander Gary Plowman.
Allan Peard, stable foreman for Bruce Wallace, said Sufficient is a true staying type. "That is why we targeted this 1600m two-year-old race," said Peard. "He is a long big striding young horse and we put this race on the planning board a long time ago. He's been in work since last June and we have not been in any rush with him. He is a beautifully natured horse."
Peard also announced plans for Sufficient to be aimed at the Group 1 VRC Derby (2500m) at Flemington in November. "He is Derby material," said Peard.
Sufficient's owner, Mark Wyborn, is very keen to win a Derby race. "The New Zealand Derby, the VRC Derby, any Derby will do," said Wyborn.
Peard said Sufficient will now have an eight week spell during which time a three-year-old campaign will be mapped out.
The Champagne Stakes has proved in previous runnings to be a happy hunting ground for the stock of Zabeel, who is the sire of 38 individual Group 1 winners and will stand again in the 2008 season at Cambridge Stud.
In 1995 the daughter of Zabeel, Jezabeel, won the Champagne Stakes and three years later she took out the Group 1 Melbourne Cup.