Required to travel three-wide the trip, Tasmanian Magic Millions graduate The Nephew kept finding under pressure for a courageous victory in Friday’s $150,000 Listed Schweppes Tasmanian Derby (2200m) at Hobart.
The Prime Thoroughbreds colour-bearer was coming off a win in the Woodend Cup at Kyneton six days ago.
Brendon McCoull excepted his fate on the Patrick Payne trained gelding, when his rivals kicked up underneath him.
It was expected that the tough run would take a toll in the straight, but the son of Wordsmith kept fighting. He worried the Star Witness gelding Ashy Boy out of it in the final stages to score by three-quarters of a length with another Victorian raider, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Reliable Man gelding Dodgy One, a further long-neck back in third.
Joe O’Neil’s Prime Thoroughbreds purchased The Nephew for $40,000 from the Armidale Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
A son of the Geard family’s prolific winner-getter Wordsmith, The Nephew advances his record to three wins and a third from seven starts with earnings of $125,075.
“It was a good win. Last Saturday, he won the Woodend Cup, defeating the older horses,” O’Neil said.
“He is out of a very good mare, a half-sister to Rubisaki (Rubick),who was the best three-year-old of her year, and Zizzis, who won the Adelaide Magic Millions.
“He had to do it tough, and he just beat them, he was too good.
“We have him nomed for the ATC Derby, but perhaps the South Australian Derby (may be an option) we will wait and see.”
The Nephew is the first foal of the Husson (ARG) mare Husson’s Kiss, a half-sister to Group II VRC Wakeful Stakes winner and Group 1 placed Rubisaki (Rubick).
Husson’s Kiss has a yearling colt by Sizzling.
After missing to Deep Field in 2020, she was covered by Hellbent last spring.
The Nephew becomes the seventh black-type winner for Gee Gee Stud’s stalwart Wordsmith/
