“There is nothing much better in racing than when you win a race for your son, the leading trainer in New Zealand,” Bergerson said.
“She won pretty well and is a good horse with a good brain on her.
“Michael took the initiative, as our plan was to drop in behind them, but she flew the gate and that was it.”
Bergerson confirmed Too Sweet would follow in the footsteps of another top juvenile filly he trained, Wolverine, who won the same event in 2022 before finishing runner-up to Dynastic in the Karaka Million 2YO three weeks later.
“I think she is as good as Wolverine as she has a great turn of foot and probably has a better brain all around,” he said.
“Sam can take over now as we will leave her at Te Akau, where she will go out on the water walker for a week and then bring her back here in three weeks.”
McNab admitted he threw the original game plan out the window when the filly jumped brilliantly at the start.
“The plan was to ride her quiet from a wide gate as there looked good speed [on paper],” he said.
“After I’d gone a few strides, I thought I might as well be the one who takes it up [pacemaking] and it worked out really well.
“She was a little aggressive and quite fresh, but she found a good kick and that gives you confidence for what’s ahead.
“She can race from behind, from the front, so she can do it all.”
Later in the programme, Willydoit firmed up his Trackside New Zealand Derby favourite status when he made it back-to-back wins in the Horizon By SkyCity 1600 on New Year’s Day.
From his outside gate in the eight-horse field, Willydoit settled at the back of the pack for jockey Masa Hashizume before improving to sit three-back on the fence. Turning for home he was stuck behind a wall of horses, but Hashizume kept a cool head and waited for a gap to open.
When one appeared, the country’s leading jockey was quick to take it and Willydoit was able to show the qualities that have made him Derby favourite when shooting away to a 2-3/4 length victory over Group 3 winner Tuxedo.
Shaun Clotworthy, who trains the three-year-old son of Tarzino in partnership with his wife Emma, was duly impressed with his performance.
“It is a pretty big statement. It looks like he is a well-above-average horse,” he said.
With victory, Willydoit shortened into $3 favouritism for the Derby ahead of the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Checkmate at $10.
Clotworthy has no doubt his charge will see out the 2400m Derby distance on Champions Day at Ellerslie in March.
“He has got a nice turn of foot and he will get a Derby distance,” he said. “He is a pretty relaxed individual and he doesn’t take too much out of himself.
“We will just see how the horse pulls up, but that [Guineas path] looks the logical programme.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
