Star quartet going separate ways after luckless starts to season

Tomodachi (blue and white) will miss the next two legs of the spring Triple Crown. Photo / Kenton Wright

Group 1 glory eluded Wexford Stables at Ellerslie, but trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott were nevertheless buoyed by the performances of their representatives.

Tomodachi fared best of the stablemates when third in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) while Checkmate and Waitak were less than four lengths off the winner and Grail Seeker had no luck in the running.

The Sir Peter Vela-bred and raced Tomodachi produced a top effort in her elite level debut and first outing since she claimed the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) in the autumn.

“We were really pleased and she’ll get her turn and win a nice race,” O’Sullivan said.

“She’s definitely got a future and we think she can be better than what she was at the weekend, she’s still very wintery at the present time.

“She’s come through the race well and she’ll have three weeks in the paddock now with the idea of running in some of the better races later on, the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) etc.”

Checkmate will also enjoy some time off after his midfield finish on Saturday.

“He’ll go to the paddock for a bit, probably close on three weeks out, with the idea of getting him ready for a race like the Rich Hill Mile (Gr.2, 1600m) and the Karaka four-year-old mile,” O’Sullivan said.

“There’s a lot of improvement in him and he blooms a bit later in the season, but we were very pleased with his performance and he’s certainly up to them.”

He won the Listed Armacup Stakes (1500m) and placed in both the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) last term.

Waitak will remain in work after the rub of the green went against him at Ellerslie.

“He was good and didn’t get much of a crack at them,” O’Sullivan said.

“He will carry on and run in the mile (Gr.1 Howden Insurance, 1600m) in three weeks’ time, that’s a nice progression for him.”

Grail Seeker finished one spot behind Waitaki in 12th after she lost momentum early in the run home when shut out of a gap.

“She will run in five weeks’ time in the Sweynesse Stakes (Gr.3, 1215m), we’ll get a very good line on her and you’d think she’d be awfully hard to beat, if not she’d need a good excuse,” O’Sullivan said.

“She looks terrific and Andrew and I are pleased with the progress she’s made.”

Not surprisingly, Grail Seeker was also named NZ’s 2024/25 Champion Sprinter-Miler at NZ Thoroughbred Racing’s black-tie event in Hamilton on Sunday evening.

“We looked through it and thought she’d get it, she only had the four starts and won two Group 1s (Tarzino Trophy, 1400m), Telegraph (1200m),” O’Sullivan said.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk