MELBOURNE CUP WINNING FAMILY TO FORE

Doing a fine job, Pericles (3 g Rubick – Empyrean, by O’Reilly) won the $25,000 Maiden 3YO 1230 metres on Sunday at Rotorua.

Winning a trial before debuting as race favourite in August at Matamata, when finding the line from midfield inner to finish fourth, Pericles had subsequently been tripped up by heavy tracks and he broke through at his fourth start.

A robust type whose grand-dam Ethereal (Rhythm) won the Caulfield Cup / Melbourne Cup double, his sire Rubick, a fast horse that won twice as a two-year-old and renowned for injecting speed into his progeny, by Champion stallion Encosta de Lago (Fairy King), was also the sire of $13m Everest (1200m) winner Yes Yes Yes.

Ridden by Vinnie Colgan, who was aboard last time when unable to cope after the track downgraded to Heavy9 in the Maiden 3YO 1180 metres on 3 November at Te Aroha, Pericles was reported by co-trainer Pam Gerard to have trained on well in the interim and she was happy with his condition.

“We planned to ride him handier, which is exactly what Vinnie did to cross over from a wide draw (11) and sit outside the leader,” Gerard said.

“I was a bit worried that there was no pace in the race and I said to Vinnie that he just needed to be kept out of trouble.

“He got on terms with the leader turning for home and he was really strong holding the challenger (Carajillo (Ardrossan)) at bay.”

On Soft6 footing, Pericles won by a long head in the race named Have Your Function at Arawa Park, and paid $22.70 & $6.10 on the NZ TAB tote.

Selected by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and purchased for $110,000 by Ballymore Stables at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, Pericles races in the Fletcher tartan colours and shares similar ownership of triple Group One placed stable-mate Harlech (Darci Brahma): Hugh Fletcher and his wife, Dame Sian Elias, Roddy and Jenny Paddon, Alan Schmedje, and Ballymore Stables.

Grand-dam Ethereal (Rhythm) endeared herself to race fans when winning the 2001 Melbourne Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m).

Out of Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram), bred and owned by Sir Peter & Philip Vela and trained by Sheila Laxon, Ethereal became a household name after winning ‘The Cup’, with additional Group One victories in the Queensland Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m), Caulfield Cup (Gr. 1, 2400m), and BMW (Gr. 1, 2400m), and her eight wins from twenty-one starts amassed earnings over $6 million.

Furthermore, Romanee Conti won the Hong Kong International Cup (HK1, 1800m) in 1993, one of her five stakes victories.

“I quite liked him as a yearling,” Gerard added. “He was quite chunky, but he’s stretched out to become quite long and he’s massive now.

“He was always going to take time and I do think he’ll be better next preparation. He’s doing well at the moment here in New Zealand, starting to figure things out and maturing mentally.

“He should take confidence from winning and he’s a lot more settled now than he used to be.”

Pericles was strapped by Bhom Singh