Alta Meteor Secures NZ Cup Golden Ticket

Alta Meteor (NZ) (Art Major) has secured his berth into the Group One New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) with a decisive victory in last Friday’s Group Three New Brighton Cup (2600m) at Addington Raceway.

The Steve and Amanda Telfer-trained five-year-old got off to a flyer from his front row draw to take an early lead in the hands of Tim Williams. The pair were left untouched up front and ran out comfortable half-length victors.

The son of Art Major had suffered a respiratory infection and his trainers were rapt to see him bounce back and earn a golden ticket into the New Zealand Cup.

“We were coming here wondering just how he would go after that setback,” Amanda Telfer told HRNZ. “But he is in the Cup (NZ) now and we can place him where we want to get him ready for that.”

Bred by Alta Breeding Co Ltd, Alta Meteor is out of Group One performer Alchemist, who is also the dam of Group Three winners Justcallmemiki and Alta Louisa.

Alta Meteor was offered as a weanling through NZB Standardbred’s 2020 All Age Sale on gavelhouse.com where he was purchased by Stonewall Stud Ltd for $25,000.

He has proven to be a bargain buy, winning 12 and placing in 12 of his 37 starts for trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer, and has accrued more than $270,000 in prizemoney.

His career highlights to date include victories in the Group Two Superstars Championship (2600m), Group Three Autumn Free-For-All (1980m), and placings in the Group One Sires’ Stakes Series Final (1980m), Group Two Canterbury Classic (2600m), Group Two Ashburton Flying Stakes (2400m) and Listed NZ Country Championship Final (3200m).

Alta Meteor finished 12th in last year’s New Zealand Trotting Cup, but looks on target to atone for that result, having won both of his starts to date this year and his trainers now have the luxury of being able to be selective with his lead-in targets.