No three-year-old in New Zealand this season has enjoyed as much black-type success as the prolific Australian bred winner Need I Say More, who was bred and sold as a weanling by highly successful Victorian nursery Burnewang North.
He added Saturday’s Gr.2 Fusion Electrical Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham to his near-faultless formline.
The winner of the Gr.3 Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) as a juvenile, the classy chestnut has added this season’s Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m), Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m) and now Saturday’s $100,000 feature.
The only defeats in the gelding’s nine-start career have been a close fourth after a taxing wide run in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), and a sixth over a distance just beyond his reach in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
Saturday’s Guineas attracted a quality field of three-year-olds, and Need I Say More was overshadowed in the betting market by his talented stablemate Brando, who was the $2.90 favourite with a more favourable draw and star jockey Opie Bosson in the saddle.
But a wide gate of 11 was quickly overcome by Need I Say More’s jockey Johnathan Parkes, who drove him forward in the early stages to sit outside the front-running Hold The Press as the field rounded the first turn.
Need I Say More soon settled into a smooth rhythm as the pace came out of the race coming down the side of the track, and when Parkes pushed the button in the home straight, Need I Say More bounded to the front.
Hold The Press fought back gallantly on his inside, while last-start Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Bonham stormed home out wide on the track, but Need I Say More scooted clear and scored an emphatic victory by a length and a half.
“It was a bit tricky early in the race – drawn 11, and they made him work a bit to get across,” Parkes said. “But once he was able to get across, the pace slackened off as we turned into the bend, which was good.
“I knew I had a handful of horse coming into the straight, and he’s really found the line well. He’s a horse that just wants to win. He’s had nine starts now for seven wins. He’s a super horse, and he has a very bright future ahead of him.”
Initially passed in when offered by Kilgravin Lodge in Book 1 at Karaka in 2019, Need I Say More was later bought for $130,000 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis. He was sourced in Australia as a weanling, bought for $65,000 by Kilgravin Lodge from the Burnewang North draft at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
The best Southern Hemisphere bred offspring of shuttle sire No Nay Never (USA), he is from Fastnet Rock mare Bo Bardi, a daughter of US stakes-winner Our Golden Dream.
Now the winner of seven of his nine starts, he has banked more than $280,000 in stakes.
“He had to do a lot of work today, but he’s a winner, no doubt about that,” trainer Jamie Richards said. “Parkesy gets on well with him, and I can’t fault the horse at all. He’s going really well.
“He was a little bit light and immature when he made the trip down to Christchurch in the spring, but with a good break at Te Akau Stud and a heap of feed, he’s come back and had a great late summer and autumn for a really good group of owners.
“I don’t think he needs to do a lot more this season. The horse probably deserves a nice break, and then we’ll get him ready for next year.”
Richards was also pleased with the strong-finishing third placing by Cornflower Blue, who had previously placed in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and resumed with a third in the Mufhasa Stakes earlier this month.
“She’s going well,” Richards said. “She’s probably looking for a little bit further, but the plan was always to run her over 1300 and 1400 before looking at a mile third up.”
Group One performer Brando, in his first start back from a disappointing unplaced finish in the Gr.3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne, finished seventh.
“He was a little bit disappointing on face value,” Richards said. “He might need a break. The trip to Australia may have taken a bit more out of him than we originally thought.” – NZ Racing Desk.
