Racing: Eagle sends his rivals packing

Trainer Trevor Cruz. Photo / Supplied

A lengthy wait for the Cruz family came to an end at Rotorua where Packing Eagle showed what he is capable of given the right conditions.

The Waikato Stud-bred and sold gelding brought his Hong Kong form to yesterday's meeting with a sterling performance to trounce his rivals in the group three Sweynesse Stakes (1215m).

"We've been waiting for a decent track and finally he was able to do what we thought he could," said Trevor Cruz, who trains the son of Pins with his brother Martin for their mother Angel.

"He had to rediscover his form and he showed today that's he's still got the fight."

Packing Eagle won six of his 19 starts in Hong Kong as Packing Pins and ran third in the group one Champions' Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin for trainer Ricky Yiu before he joined the Cruz siblings' Cambridge operation.

He had been unplaced in his first two starts for them on heavily rain-affected tracks before Rotorua provided him with a stage to showcase his talent.

"He races particularly well on right-handed tracks and we'll keep him to 1200 and 1400m, a mile might be a stretch for him," Cruz said. "Ideally, we'll look for weight-for-age races for him."

Packing Eagle raced close to the pace yesterday and he surged clear in the run home to have two-and-a-half lengths on last year's winner Scapolo at the post.

"He sits nicely off the speed and that's how he's raced best in Hong Kong," Cruz said.

A serious horse was how rider Trudy Thornton described the 7-year-old.

"He felt amazing on the better surface, he's a very powerful galloper," she said.

Meanwhile, Sir Peter Vela celebrated the 16th anniversary of Ethereal's group one Caulfield Cup (2400m) victory with a stakes success at Rotorua.

His famous colours were donned yesterday by Danielle Johnson aboard the Keeper mare Wildflower, who she guided to a gallant win in the Listed Jakkalberry Classic (1950m).

The Graham Richardson and Gavin Parker-trained 5-year-old continued a good run of results for Sir Peter, who also enjoyed a black type success in the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) last weekend with Ethereal's relative Cote D'Or.

Wildflower has been honest throughout her career and she has now won four of her 14 starts and has yet to fail to weigh in.

"We just love this mare, she's so genuine and she's only going to get better," Richardson said.

"We're chuffed to get a black type win for Sir Peter, I've been lucky enough to train for him for some time. He's a big supporter of New Zealand racing and has horses with quite a lot of trainers here."

Wildflower settled midfield on the outer before Johnson urged her around runners across the top and they were in front 250m from home. Snow Secret laid down a stern late challenge only to come up a nose short.

"I thought we had been nabbed on the line, but we got the bob in," Richardson said. "We'll just be looking to get more black type with the mare whenever we can."

Angel In Bluejeans coped admirably with her rise from Rating 75 company to finish a game third ahead of the well-backed Hello M'Lady and last year's winner Maygrove.

- NZ Racing Desk