Chica Mojito brings solid Australian form to Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo / Bradley Photos
Gareth Downey will be busy at Flemington this Saturday in his role as Lindsay Park’s chief executive, but the expat Kiwi will be keeping a close eye on Champions Day at Ellerslie, where his mare Chica Mojito will line up in the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Classic.
“We would love to be there, but we are not going to be able to because of other commitments over here,” Downey said. “If she happens to run really well, Chris’ [Waller, trainer] plan for her next is the Breeders’ Stakes [Group 1, 1600m] on the 28th [at Trentham], so we will endeavour to be over for that if she happens to get that far.”
Bred by Downey and his wife, Mel Gamble, Chica Mojito is out of three-win Cecconi mare Cantina and by Zacinto, who stood at Valachi Downs when the Matamata farm was managed by Downey.
She showed plenty of promise when trained in New Zealand by Ben and Ryan Foote, placing in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m), and has been a model of consistency under the care of Waller, placing in a further 10 races before winning last start at Wyong in the A$500,000 Lakes Mile (1600m) in January.
“My wife bought her dam, Cantina, and we were breeding from her while we were at Valachi,” Downey said. “We bred Cantina to Zacinto and got this girl and kept her to race ourselves.
“Ben and Ryan trained her in New Zealand, and she was showing a lot of promise and attracted the attention of Brad Spicer, who we agreed to sell half to and come over [to Australia] to be trained by Chris.
“She has always had a huge amount of ability. She has had a lot of placings and only two wins, but she has always had something not go quite right for her.
“She managed to show her true potential in that last start, where she won the big race at Wyong. It was a huge thrill that day, and it is extremely exciting to see her head back home and participate in such an incredible raceday.”
Waller won the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Classic last year, when known as the Westbury Classic, with Konasana, and he will be out to defend his crown with Chica Mojito and stablemate Mare Of Mt Buller.
Chica Mojito has drawn favourably in three, and Downey is hoping she can live up to her billing as equal favourite, alongside Tomodachi, at $3.40.
“It is a very nice field, as you would expect,” Downey said. “She is definitely in with a chance. Chris won the race last year, so he knows the kind of horse to take over there, and he looks like he has picked two nice options, and hopefully for us she is the right option.
“She is usually a bit slow away from the gates, so the draw perhaps doesn’t quite matter so much, but the dream draw would have been three, so when that popped up this morning it looked perfect.”
While he will be cheering home Chica Mojito from Flemington, he will also be barracking for two other horses on Champions Day that he bred – The Odyssey in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) and Son Of Sun in the Group 2 Trackside Auckland Cup (3200m).
“Mel and I were breeding from three mares at the time and all three of them have got a runner on that programme [Champions Day],” Downey said. “You feel honoured to breed a horse good enough to race on that raceday, so to have three is amazing.”
Champions Day, which is now in its second year, is building into New Zealand racing’s biggest day, and Downey is thrilled to see an event of its scale come to life in his homeland.
“It is just enormous for New Zealand racing,” he said. “The changes that have been happening have had a positive impact, but to have a raceday like that with the total prizemoney is just incredible.”
Downey and Gamble continue to breed from three mares, including Cantina, with two based in New Zealand.
“Cantina is at Gordon Cunningham’s place at Curraghmore, and she has got a Satono Aladdin 2-year-old filly, a Shocking yearling colt, and a Shocking colt foal at foot,” Downey said.
“We have got one of her daughters, Tequila, over there that we are breeding from, and over here we have got Fleetwood Maca that we are breeding from.”
Putting on his Lindsay Park chief hat, Downey is excited about the Australian stable’s prospects at Flemington this weekend, where it will have several topline chances.
That will include New Zealand-bred gelding Evaporate – runner-up in last year’s $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day – who will contest the Group 1 The All-Star Mile (1600m).
“He has always been an extremely promising galloper,” Downey said. “He has maybe mentally held himself back a little bit in his races because of how keen he seems to get.
“The way he ran first-up was extremely good [fourth in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes, 1400m], especially for him, who seems to improve so much second-up. We are very hopeful leading into Saturday.
“It is a big raceday over here, and as usual we have got a fair bit of representation. We will just try to get them all there in the best order we can.”
Downey has been with Lindsay Park since 2022, and he is loving his time leading the Hayes family operation. As a proud Kiwi, he said, he was quick to point out the stable’s success with New Zealand-breds.
“We have been over here for three-and-a-half years, and it is great,” Downey said. “We have found a place to live over here that Mel and I love. It is a big operation, and there is always plenty to keep you busy, and it is a great team to be associated with.
“It’s a fact, [NZ-bred success]. I may point [it] out to them quite often. It is quite remarkable if you go through the best horses in the stable, the proportion of Kiwi-breds is really high.”
While enjoying his time in Australia, it hasn’t been without its struggles, particularly earlier this year when their region was ravaged by bushfires.
“We are in a very lucky position that we are still able to be training essentially as normal,” Downey said.
“It was an incredibly difficult time that so many of the team went through, both personally and professionally, so it is good to be back on track and trying to focus on the positives.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk