PERICLES WIN UNCLE REMUS STAKES

Vindicating the confidence of co-trainer Pam Gerard, Pericles (3 g Rubick – Empyrean, by O’Reilly) won the $100,000 SkyCity Horizon Uncle Remus Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on Saturday at Ellerslie.

Making it three wins from his last four starts, Pericles did find plenty to win the 3YO 1400 metres on 21 January at Pukekohe, and Gerard, who trains in partnership with Mike Moroney at Ballymore Stables in Matamata, had no hesitation in taking on stakes company.

Following the last start victory at Pukekohe, Gerard said: “He’s a pretty good horse and it’s only a couple of wet tracks and indifferent rides that have tripped him up.

“He’s still very green, but once he works it out he could have a bright future and we might try and find a suitable stakes race over 1200m or 1400 metres.”

Gerard added: “We were a bit stumped as to which stakes race to run in, but using it as a lead-up to either the Mufhasa Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) on Derby Day (2 March) or the Wellington Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m) a week later at Trentham.

“The Uncle Remus came along at an ideal time and although dropping back in distance he has shown the gate speed to put himself there.

“Whether he’s quick enough for the 1200 metres I’m not quite sure, but certainly a nice race that fits in with his programme.”

Ridden again by Vinnie Colgan, aboard for each of his wins, Pericles settled three back on the outer behind a genuine and competitive pace. He was able to challenge at will entering the straight, loomed as a threat, and sustained a strong gallop to assert superiority.

“He had a good draw (4), but the pace was on a bit more than I thought it would be,” Colgan said.

“His win at Pukekohe was pretty nice and he’s a horse that’s making progress.

“He’s pretty quick and also quite headstrong, so getting back to 1200 metres was to his liking a bit.”

On Good4 footing, Pericles ran 1200 metres in a polished 1:09.6, last 600m in 34.6, and paid handsomely ($29.70 & $5.70) on the NZ TAB tote.

“He’s always been a frontrunner himself, but Vinnie (Colgan) was quite keen to take a sit and it worked out better than we thought it was going to,” Gerard said.

“We’ve said for a long time that he’s a very, very good horse, but just taken a bit longer to mature and work it out.

“I’m super proud for the owners, who have put in so much, and Mikey (Thompson) and all the staff love just love this horse.”

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 to 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.

“When I was a child we used to come here (Ellerslie) every Sunday to Merv Ritchie’s stables and see the horses,” said Hugh Fletcher, accepting on behalf of the owners.

“And we have a link to Avondale Jockey Club with Sian’s father, a doctor, working for the club on race days, so it’s great to win a race on Avondale Cup Day.”

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), is also the sire of $13m Everest (1200m) winner Yes Yes Yes.

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.

Earlier in the programme, stable-mate Lingjun Xiongfeng (The Factor), who recently produced a strong finish in the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m), dropped back in distance for the Open Handicap 1200 metres and steamed home for third.

The five-year-old grey entire was using the race in preparation for the $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (Special Conditions, 1500m) on Derby Day (Saturday 2 March) at Ellerslie.

“He did what he came here to do, have a look at the new StrathAyr track, and we’re targeting the 1500 metres,” Gerard said.

Pericles was strapped by Michael Thompson.