It's been a while between drinks for the Tavistock gelding Stockman, who found conditions to like when opening his stakes account on a testing track in Saturday's Listed McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill.
Coming off a third in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) on the same track, Stockman was given a peach of a ride by Sam Clipperton.
The Joe Pride-trained gelding slogged through the heavy conditions to repel the challenge of Berdibek (FR) (Dark Angel) by one and a quart lengths, with Parry Sound (Pierro) a further two and a quarter lenghs back in third.
A grand money-spinner for Proven Thoroughbreds Stockman advances his record to five wins, five seconds, and three thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $311,765.
"They ran along, Mr Marathon Man really strung them out, and you could see Stockman was really comfortable," Pride said.
"He just relishes those heavy tracks, and this is the first one he has hit this time around.
"It worked out perfectly for him. I had designs on going to the two-mile race next week, but he might be weighted out of that now. He might go to the Sunshine Coast for their 2400m (Caloundra Cup). It's always wet up there."
Purchased by Proven Thoroughbreds / John Thompson Racing for $170,000 from the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2018 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Stockman becomes the third stakes-winner for the Zabeel mare Crimson.
A Group II winning half-sister to Group 1 VRC Derby winner Omnicorp, dual Group II winner Pharostan and Listed winner Bourbon Boy, Crimson is the dam of Group II winner, and Group 1 placed Abidewithme (Redoute's Choice), Listed winner and Group 1 VRC Oaks runner-up Miss Scarlatti (Stravinsky) and stakes-placed A Fairy's Kiss (Stravinsky), the dam of Pride's ten times Listed stakes-winner Destiny's Kiss.
Stockman is the 11th and final foal of Crimson and becomes the 30th stakes-winner for the ill-fated Tavistock.
