The $700,000 Group I NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday produced a thrilling finish with lightly raced Hellbent gelding Kumara Straight making the quantum leap to claim victory at just his third race start.
Now based in Victoria, Logan Bates returned to his former hometown in Christchurch to collect another local Group One feature when he guided Cambridge visitor Kumara Straight to an exciting win.
Bates showed just why he is a sought after commodity in Victoria as he guided the Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-prepared Kumara Straight through a muddling tempo in running before unleashing him in the home straight.
With 200m to run it looked like the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained duo of Rip Tide and Coniston were going to fight out the finish with Cambridge raider Excite as they traded blows in front.
Just as Rip Tide thrust his head in front, Kumara Straight appeared on the outside of the trio and with a massive lunge got in the winning stride to win by half a length with a half head back to Coniston in third.
?? HELLBENT NEW G1 WINNER ?? KUMARA STRAIGHT (3g) takes the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m), winning by .6L ?? Bred by McEnnis Racing’s Matt McEnnis, sold by @TwinHillsStud @mmsnippets, and bought & trained by Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray. #thefutureisHellbent | #YarramanPark https://t.co/mXKjRRDToY
— Yarraman Park Stud (@yarramanpark) November 14, 2026
Bates was quick to thank those involved who got him to Christchurch to take the mount on the son of Hellbent.
“Thanks to Shaune, Colm and the whole team and to Craig Baker who sourced me the ride,” Bates said.
“Lucky enough I pulled the right rein as I was having a look at it, and he was really unlucky at his last run. He just needed to take the natural progression from that and he did.
“It was a messy sort of race as I was in a lovely spot then the tempo came out of it and I decided to just let him use his action and not get in an arm wrestle.
“To the horse’s credit I gave him a squeeze at the top of the corner and he responded straight away, which is a good feeling as you know they have plenty in the tank.
“He took a while to hit his straps, but he pinned his ears back and really hit the line and got the job done.
“The feel he gave me today, he has a lovely action, and I think in time he can stretch out further.”
Murray, for whom victory was his first Group One win, was keeping his emotions intact as he described the path the horse had taken to get to Riccarton, which didn’t include the traditional three-year-old lead up events.
“That was unreal as he got caught wide, but he just kept on coming as he is a tough bugger,” he said.
“That was just his third start, so it is quite special.
“When he won his maiden at Ellerslie, we took him back there again and he just got touched off by one of Roger and Robert’s (James and Wellwood). I said to Shaune that he was just a bit green and Shaune said we have to go (here to Riccarton) so we did.
“Shaune bought this horse in Sydney, and he can really pick them out.”
Kumara Straight was a $75,000 Inglis Classic purchase for his trainer from the Twin Hill Stud draft and has a bright future with just two wins and a second from his three starts to date.
Bred by McEnnis Racing, he is the best of four winners from four foals (all by Hellbent) to race from Group III placed Snow Secret, whose dam is a full sister to Group I Queensland Oaks winner Zagalia.
Snow Secret was on-sold through Inglis Digital in 2025 for $1000 and subsequently lost a foal by Peltzer before having a year off. She was covered this spring by Cylinder.
Kumara Straight is the 13th stakes-winner for Hellbent and is his third Group I winner joining Magic time and Benedetta.
Hellbent has a strong hand at the upcoming 2027 Magic Millions Yearling Sale with 29 entries.
