Jockey Lisa Allpress continued her love affair with the feature sprint on the first day of New Zealand Cup Week when she guided Lincoln’s Kruz to victory in the Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton.
The Lisa Latta-trained six-year-old was a handful for Allpress as they made their way around to the barriers before the race, but once she bounced him out from an inside draw to obtain the trail behind pacemaker Challa, he settled beautifully.
Given the perfect trip in transit Lincoln’s Kruz had plenty up his sleeve when Allpress asked for his home straight effort as he burst to the front at the 300m and comfortably held out the challenges of Rockland and Buoyant, who fought well to fill the minor placings.
Allpress admitted she knew she had amassed a decent record in the race after winning previously aboard Coup Align (2009), Princess Katie (2012), So Elusive (2011), Wekaforce (2020) and Babylon Berlin (2021) and felt she had a good chance to add another win to her honour roll.
“I was looking through the book before the race and I saw that I had won it five times which is very nice,” she said.
“He (Lincoln’s Kruz) is always a chance second-up with a run under his belt and I’ve had a lot of confidence in him since I first rode him as a two-year-old.
“I was a little bit worried as Kylie William’s horse (Rockland) was travelling well, but it was just a matter of getting out and he did the rest.”
Latta, who had earlier produced Hemi Ridapest to win over 1200m in maiden company, was feeling confident of a better performance after Lincoln’s Kruz had finished last on a heavy track at Hastings at his first run in a new campaign.
“He’s always had the ability and is a much stronger horse this time,” she said.
“I elected to run him at Hastings where he carried 60kgs on a heavy track and there were no positives out of his run, but I put that behind us.
“I knew if we got a good track today, his record at the 1000m is very good.”
Latta will now aim Lincoln’s Kruz at a second victory in stakes company as she targets the Gr.3 Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m) on the last day of the carnival next Saturday.
“Lisa (Allpress) has always had faith in him and we know he can gallop, so he just needs to be in the right head space,” Latta said.
“I think this run will do him the world of good as he was a bit above himself, so we will look to back him up next week.”
Purchased by Latta for $150,000 out of the Woburn Farm draft during the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, Lincoln’s Kruz has now won five of his 34 starts and over $145,000.
The 2022 Ready To Run Sale will be held at Karaka on November 16 & 17 with over 260 two-year-olds set to go under the hammer. – NZ Racing Desk
