GRANDSON OF CHAMPION WINS ON DEBUT

A grandson of Champion Three-Year-Old filly Nimue (Star Way), Ostasio (4 g Savabeel – Pierian, by Montjeu) had no problem when delivering on debut by three and a half lengths on Sunday at Te Aroha.

From a tremendous Windsor Park Stud family, his grand-dam, Nimue, won both the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Bayer Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m), adding two Group 3 victories, during a brilliant three-year-old season, before retiring to stud having won eight of eleven starts.

Ridden by Ryan Elliot in the $10,000 Happy 50th Birthday Trudi Maiden 1200 metres, Ostasio travelled in midfield, as he did when finishing third at the trials on 9 July at Te Aroha, before launching clear wide on the track.

On footing that downgraded earlier in the day from Slow9 to Heavy10, Ostasio ran the 1200 metres in 1:18.5 and returned $16.40 & $4.70 on the NZ TAB tote after drifting from $12.00 & $3.60 fixed odds.

It was a good start to the new season for training partners Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard, getting a winner on the second day.

“He’s quite a tough horse and Ryan (Elliot) said he won easily,” said Gerard, following the win. “He’s still a bit green amongst them, but it was his first start, and he wants to get there, do the job, and once he gets to them he wants to get away. It was quite impressive.

“He’s taken time to mature and hasn’t got the best of legs, but even when he finished fourth in his only trial as a two-year-old I knew he had some ability.

“We put him out after that and the ground was too hard for him when we brought him back, so we’ve had to bide our time until some easing arrived. He’s not the easiest horse to deal with – a bit of a handful.

“Although there’s not a lot to him, he’s pretty hard-fit, and Ryan was impressed with him. The Heavy11 footing at the trials was probably beyond him and although it worsened today it remained not too bad.

“He’s got really good owners, David and Elizabeth Olsen, who put a lot into the game and give our stable plenty of support. It’s great to see them getting rewards and they really do love racing horses.

“They’ve got some very nice ones around them and we’re hoping for a good season with the horses that we train for them.”

From a mare, Pierian, that won over 1400 metres on slow ground, Ostasio carries a Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) cross through the sire line of five-time Champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel) and as the dam-sire of Nimue.

Ostasio was strapped by Michael Thompson.