Manawatu trainer Peter Hurdle was proved right when Our Fuji opened his middle-distance winning account with an all-the-way victory in the $50,000 Taranaki Cup.
Hurdle said he was adamant Our Fuji, winner of eight races up to 1600m before Saturday's group three race, would make it as a middle-distance performer.
But he said his opinion was not shared by jockeys.
"His riders have always said he's an out and out sprinter-miler and wouldn't see out 2000 metres," Hurdle said. Our Fuji had only had the one middle-distance run before Saturday and although finishing well back, Hurdle said it was probably not a good guide.
"That was at Te Rapa last year and he was tired and at the end of a long campaign," Hurdle said.
Our Fuji was ridden in front by jockey Darryl Bradley and after sneaking a break on the home turn the combination held out runner-up Mistrale by half a length.
Veteran and topweight Van Winkle showed he was ready for the jumping season by finishing third at long odds.
A five-year-old son of Japanese shuttle stallion Fuji Kiseki and purchased at a Sydney yearling sale, Our Fuji had only had one run back from a let-up, when finishing sixth of eight runners at Waverley on March 5.
Hurdle said that made Our Fuji's win all the more creditable.
"If ever he was going to be vulnerable at 2000 metres it was going to be today," Hurdle said.
Plans for Our Fuji will see him tackle the $80,000 weight-for-age Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) at Awapuni on April 16.
"We'll see how he goes at weight-for-age before deciding on what to do with him after that," Hurdle said.
He did not rule out Our Fuji taking on the $100,000 Hawkes Bay Cup (2200m) a week later.
Favourite for the Taranaki Cup was Etoile Du Nord who was having her first run since being unplaced in the Wellington Cup on January 29. She settled towards the rear and battled away in the straight to finish sixth.
Her rider Noel Harris said: "I was happy where I was and she was travelling well until she dipped about the 700m mark. After that she was struggling."
Mistrale was wide around the final bend but made ground strongly on the winner in the latter stages. Rider Andrew Calder said Mistrale wasn't happy in the easy track conditions.
- NZPA
