Unplaced behind Zulfiqar when on debut in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes, Ribchester (IRE) colt Krakarib decisively turned the tables in the Group III Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Ridden by Damien Thornton for Simon Zahra, Krakarib led from pillar to post in defeating Per Incanto (USA) colt Little Brose by three-quarters of a length with the Hellbent filly Awestruck the same distance back in third.
Simon Zahra revealed he had purchased the son of Ribchester (IRE) for $30,000 out of the paddock at Spendthrift Farm.
“I’m rapt for Damien. He’s been starving (to ride Realm Of Flowers in the Cup), and I asked if he wanted something to eat,” Zahra said.
“We had a good plan. Just to let him roll. The other day he held him up, and he over-raced and wasn’t breathing right.
“He kept him nice and fresh and well, and we said to Damien not to overcomplicate it. Just go to the front and let him breathe and use his natural speed.”
“We thought he could win first-up. He’s got buried the fence, and he just did everything wrong. I said to Damien, just let him roll into a good rhythm.
“He’s got really good natural speed, let’s use that. He’s pretty well educated. He’s been in work a long time and been through the system three times.
“I was pretty confident coming into today that he’d run a super race.
“We bought him off the farm for about $30,000 from Spendthrift out of the paddock 12 months ago and said to the ownership that this is our first two-year-old together.
“I had (thought about) getting him gelded on Monday so he’ll have a break, he’s been in work a long time and give him a bit of a freshen up, have a crack. He’s small and open to improvement.
“He’s got good natural speed and he’s paid his way for everyone.”
Bred by Spendthrift Australia, Krakarib is the first foal of the Dawn Approach (IRE) mare Skagerrak , who won a Newcastle maiden in three starts for James Cummings.
Bought by Spendthrift off Godolphin for $250,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, Skagerrak went through the same ring earlier this year. In foal to Dirty Work, Skagerrak was a $400,000 buy for B2B Thoroughbreds.
Skagerrak can boast of being a half-sister to Group III MRC Blue Diamond Prelude winner and Group 1 Blue Diamond stakes runner-up Hanseatic (Street Boss).
From the Black Caviar All Too Hard and Magnus family, Skagerrak has a yearling filly by Omaha Beach (USA) and was covered by Dirty Work last spring.
Krakarib is the sixth stakes winner for Ribchester (IRE) and his first in Australia.
The 4-time Group 1 winning son of Iffraaj shuttled to Darley for two seasons and now covers at Haunui Farm for a fee of $15,000 (+gst).
