Photo: Trish Dunell
Southland Guineas winner Weaponry recorded his fourth career win for the Te Akau Weaponry Syndicate on Friday at Tauranga.
Taking luck out of the equation in a small field of five, jockey Chelsea Burdan had Weaponry outside the leader and although tackled in earnest at the 200m, he lifted stylishly to justify favouritism in the Rob Pinny Realty R72 (1400m).
On footing rated Dead4, he ran the 1400m in 1:23.8 and paid $2.50 & $1.30 on the NZ TAB tote.
“He was very good the other day Awapuni, and found the right race to gain another win,” trainer Jamie Richards said. “He likes to gawk when he gets to the front, but Chelsea gave him a lovely ride, half a length off the leader, and he found a good kick when the challengers came.
“He won with a bit of authority in the end and had the audacity to prick his ears and have a look at the winning post. He’s had good, consistent form and it won’t be his last win. He looks like he can take the step up to the next grade and he’s going well on the back of a good three-year-old season.
“He’s stabled in the colt barn, so a good effort by the team there. He enjoys a bit of variety in his training. Chelsea rides all his track work, so they get on well and she rode him perfectly to instructions.”
Weaponry was purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud.
Inbred to Northern Dancer, Weaponry is from the first crop of Declaration of War who was impressive when winning the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot.
“Anyone who saw Declaration of War’s win at Ascot would have realised what a special horse he was for trainer Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle, and he went on to win one of the highest rated races in the world – the Juddmonte International at York,” David Ellis said.
“He was a dual Group One winner, Joint Champion Older Male in Europe, and a top 10 second-crop sire that has left all his stakes winners on turf. He shuttled to Coolmore Australia in 2014, so we were lucky to be able to buy any of his progeny, and this season he shuttled to Japan.
“The horse was bred by friends of ours, Shelley Frost and her late mother (Raywyn Ramage) at Braided River Thoroughbreds. We love buying horses from breeders that support us and they have been brilliant people to train for.
“His dam, Cat Shmea, had already left a Group One winner (Velocitea) of the Goodwood Stakes over 1200 metres in Adelaide, and overall we really liked him. He’s a tough horse and has a good record.” -Te Akau Racing
