Almanzor’s son a 3YO to follow

Lightly raced three-year-old Relentless added winning momentum at Ruakaka to his push for possible higher age group honours.

We bred and sold the son of resident sire Almanzor who has been touted as a long-range G1 New Zealand Derby prospect.

“We do think a lot of him, he’s just been one of those horses that’s taken a bit of time,” said Colm Murray, who trains with Shaune Ritchie.

Relentless was a debut third at Avondale before an unplaced but close-up effort at Pukekohe and was given every opportunity to shine at Ruakaka in the hands of Elen Nicholas.

“She rode him very well and he let down nicely,” Murray said.

The gelding lobbed along outside of the leader before striding to the front early in the run home and stayed on strongly in the run to the post.

“I was really pleased with him and he just cruised along. He switched off so well and had plenty left in the tank,” Nicholas said.

Portofino has a pedigree to boost his Derby prospects with his dam the Tavistock mare Portofino whose half-brother Mongolian Marshal won the G3 Waikato Cup and representatives of the Eight Carat family.

Relentless is the first foal of Portofino and we sold him to Ritchie Murray Racing at Karaka for $200,000 while Wexford Stakes purchased her second, a Hello Youmzain filly named Finozino for $75,000.

The dam has another yearling daughter of Hello Youmzain and is currently in foal to Savabeel.

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