NZB Standardbred Graduates Trifecta Group Three Diamond Creek Farm Classic

Dashing Major (NZ) (Art Major) produced a scintillating turn of speed to become the latest stakes race-winning graduate of NZB Standardbred’s 2019 National Yearling Sale at Ascot Park on Thursday. 

 

The Robert Dunn trained three-year-old sprinted off the back of the favourite Ragazzo Mach (NZ) (Mach Three) on a sizzling 26.8sec last 400m to win the Group Three Diamond Creek Farm Classic (2200m) on Southland’s biggest day of harness racing.

 

Out of Inspiring Dash (NZ) (Falcon Seelster), Dashing Major was purchased by Mr NR McGrath for $37,000 from Ken and Anne-Marie Spicer’s Rosedale Farm draft at the 2019 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

 

Driver John Dunn praised Dashing Major’s effort to make up ground and win the race on such a fast last 400m.

 

“It was a good effort to get there when they were running the last quarter that quick,” the reinsman said.

 

Just a nose separated the first two horses home in the $30,000 Diamonds Day feature, with Arden’s Ace (NZ) (Art Major) rounding out a trifecta for NZB Standardbred graduates with his third placing.

 

Dashing Major will now seek Group One glory in the Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes Series Final (1980m) on New Zealand Cup Day.

 

“He will go straight in to the Sires Stakes Final on Cup day now,” Dunn said.

“It is going to be hard for him racing Krug and those good ones.”

 

“He is still green but hopefully this trip is the making of him.”

 

Dashing Major qualified for his Group One target after running an excellent third behind star three-year-olds Krug (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) and It’s All About Faith (NZ) (Captaintreacherous) on debut in a heat of the Garrard’s Sires Stakes Series.

 

He is a half-brother Arden’s Ace’s dam, former star race mare and seven-time Group One winner, Venus Serena (NZ) (Mach Three).

 

Arden’s Ace has a good chance of joining Dashing Major and the big line up of NZB Standardbred graduates in the Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes Series Final running fifth in the same race.

 

NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale purchases make up an incredible 14 of the top 15 qualifiers for the New Zealand Cup Day feature.