Horse racing: Dealt With dances to Millions with drama-filled victory

Dealt With winning the Elsdon Park 1400 on Sunday at Pukekohe Park. Photo / Kenton Wright

Unbeaten 3-year-old Dealt With has booked himself a ticket to the big dance with victory in Sunday’s Elsdon Park 1400, but it wasn’t without a heart-stopping moment in the home straight for Roger James and Robert Wellwood.

The son of Ace High debuted with a comfortable, albeit green win at Te Aroha earlier this month, and stepping into open age-group company at Pukekohe, he was fancied to replicate that result closing a narrow $3.20 favourite over First Dance ($3.30).

Powering from barrier three, Dealt With was keen to get on with the job and soon took up an uncontested lead in the hands of George Rooke, with Elegant Jazz in close quarters to his outer. He kicked strongly turning for home and put a margin on the field by the 150m, but that’s when it all nearly came unstuck, showing his inexperience and shying abruptly at the 100m post, unseating Rooke.

Despite this, Rooke managed to regain his balance, straighten the gelding and guide him home by three-quarters of a length to a fast-finishing First Dance.

After the race, Wellwood was full of praise for his promising galloper, while admitting it had been far from an easy watch.

“I hope George has got a spare pair of breeches in his jockey bag, it was looking pretty impressive then looked pretty scary there for a minute,” Wellwood said.

“But still, it was very impressive. He’s got a lot to learn, but to put away a nice field like that with things to learn, it’s pretty exciting going forward.

“He’s a big, strong horse and he’s able to put himself in the race, that’s a big help. It’s nice to see him do that, but we hope we can see him start to do it a bit easier.”

Prior to Sunday’s contest, the Cambridge trainers had indicated the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) was a real possibility for Dealt With, and all going well, the gelding will be off to Ellerslie next Saturday.

“We’ve got a number of options, but practically, there is a race worth a million and a half in six days’ time,” Wellwood said. “If he came through this really well and George’s feedback says he can go over a mile, we could look to head there.

“Otherwise, there will be one more run for him in the middle of next month, then we hope to secure a slot in the Kiwi. I think he’s just made a statement that makes him a pretty obvious horse for a race like the Kiwi.”

While James and Wellwood have won the past two editions of the Karaka Millions 3YO with Prowess and Orchestral, the NZB Kiwi will be new territory, with the inaugural running of the $3.5m contest set to be run on March 8 at Ellerslie.

Dealt With was a $90,000 purchase by his trainers at the 2023 Karaka Yearling Sales, through breeder Hallmark Stud’s draft. He is out of an Exceed And Excel mare Scrutiny, who had one subsequent foal by Super Easy before passing.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk