Promising three-year-old Lupo Solitario followed up his stylish victory at Te Rapa last month with an even more impressive display to beat his age-group rivals over 1300m at Tauranga and remain unbeaten in two starts to date.
The imposing son of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin was favoured towin the event, starting as a $2.80 favourite. However, those odds looked anything but certain when he was hotly challenged in the home straight by second favourite What You Wish For.
Shaken up by rider Ryan Elliot, the Danica Guy-trained runner showed he has plenty of grit in a tight finish as he found something extra to keep his challengers at bay by half a length at the line.
Part-owner Leighton Howl, who purchased the horse for $82,500 out of the Rich Hill Stud Book 2 draft during the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, was rapt to have witnessed the victory in person after making the trip to Tauranga from his Auckland base.
“He’s a very tough or single-minded horse who has got a fair bit of ability on his side,” Howl said.
“He got pushed around during the running today and was being laid all over by the horse [Tears Of Victory] on his inside in the home straight.
Lupo Solitario extends his winning run at Tauranga on Saturday. Photo / Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“He probably had an excuse to get beaten but he is very determined and showed that in the concluding stages.
“The great thing about him is that he is very relaxed and professional in the way he goes about things and you could see the confidence he gained from his debut win.
“This will also be good for him looking ahead to the future.”
That immediate future will be a start in the Group 2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa on October 21 before his ultimate goal, the $1.5 million Karaka Million 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie in January.
“His next start will be at Te Rapa in the Sarten Memorial and then we will look for a run between that and the Karaka Million 3YO,” Howl said.
“After that he would most likely have a spell and be brought back for a Sydney campaign where we would look at races like the Randwick Guineas [Group 1, 1600m] and Rosehill Guineas [Group 1, 2000m].”
TAB Bookmakers are taking no chances with the horse, installing him as the $8 second favourite behind Tokyo Tycoon ($2.80) for the Karaka Million 3YO on January 27.
Howl explained he had a simple mandate when he went to the National Yearling Sale at Karaka to purchase the horse.
“It was a pretty simple script which was to find the best Satono Aladdin in the sale and buy it,” he said.
“There were 13 there and we narrowed it down to two and bought this guy as we couldn’t afford to buy them both.
“The other one was Lantern Way, who has had two stakes placings, so we should have bought them both but we are certainly happy with how this has worked out so far.
“He paraded really well and I had my daughter with me as he went to the sale ring. He stared at us for about 300m and she was taken by that so it seemed like fate that we purchase him.
“There are 11 of us in the syndicate and we are having a ball, so it has really worked out well.”
Bred by Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd. from its Pentire mare She’s Aloof, who is a half-sister to top South Island racemare Include (10 wins) and Sharp Princess, Lupo Solitario is also closely related to former Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Brambles and triple Australian Group One winner Slight Chance.
