Former Hong Kong galloper Eptimum continued the resurrection of his racing career when victorious in the Clare Memorial Central Otago Cup (1220m) at Cromwell on Friday.
The seven-year-old gelding was quick out of the gates and settled outside leader Spring Blossom where he continued to apply pressure throughout.
The son of Snitzel kicked clear at the 200m mark and was able to withstand the late challenge of Goodanya to win by three-quarters of a lengths, with Redford a further 1-3/4 lengths back in third.
It was the second win from four starts for trainer and part-owner John Blackadder, who was duly rapt with the result.
“We knew Spring Blossom would lead but I was a bit surprised that he jumped so well and was sitting outside Spring Blossom,” Blackadder said.
“He just came away from them in the end.”
The Central Otago Cup wasn’t originally on the plans for Eptimum, but Blackadder elected to have a throw at the stumps on Friday after seeing the wet weather forecast.
“He was entered for the 65 1200m on Sunday,” he said. “I knew we were meant to get rain and he is not a wet tracker so I thought I would throw him in the open and he would get a light weight.
“I knew he was pretty smart, but to see him win today was great.
“I will see how he comes through today and if we don’t have any rain I might look at Sunday.”
Eptimum has continued to impress his trainer and now stakes targets are in the offing for the globetrotter.
“He will probably head to something like the Hazlett (Listed, 1200m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day,” Blackadder said.
“He is also nominated for the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m). If you don’t nominate, you can’t run.”
It won’t be the first stakes assignment for Eptimum, who tasted Group Three success on one of the biggest stages, when winning the Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day in 2017.
He was subsequently sold to Hong Kong where he failed to fire in 19 starts before he was retired to Dave Duley’s Landsdown Park in Waikato.
“He won a Group Three on Cox Plate Day as a three-year-old and then they sold him to Hong Kong and he didn’t cope with it,” Blackadder said.
“Dave Duley rang me one day and said ‘would you like a horse, he’s a seven-year-old and has been sitting in the paddock for 18 months’.
“I said ‘not really’, but after a month he said the horse was still there, so I rang Henry Gillies and he pre-trained him and away we have gone.” – NZ Racing Desk
