Zacinto gelding Mach Schnell has returned to New Zealand with an eye towards some lofty summer targets.
Initially trained in New Zealand by Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, Mach Scnell won two races for the Auckland couple before joining Joe Pride’s Warwick Farm barn last year.
The now seven-year-old won four races in Sydney for Pride and earned nearly A$400,000 in prizemoney for his group of owners, including Leighton Howl, who purchased Mach Schnell out of Beaufort Downs’ 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $80,000.
The Clotworthys have enjoyed having the gelding back in their barn and are looking forward to kicking off his New Zealand return in Saturday’s Gr.3 Valley D’Vine Restaurant Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings, for which he is a $9 joint third favourite behind the Mark Waker and Sam Bergerson-trained Romancing The Moon ($3) and Puketiro ($7.50).
“We are happy with the draw (1) and happy with the horse,” Shaun Clotworthy said.
“Joe Pride did a great job with him and won some nice money for his owners over there. Leighton promised me that he would come back to New Zealand and it is great to have a quality horse like him come back.
“He has always been a very genuine animal. We kicked him off as a younger horse and he has been to Australia and has fully matured now.
“He hasn’t done a lot since he has come back from Australia. We have only had him for four weeks, but he was running over 2000m six weeks ago. He has had a nice little freshen-up and looks well-placed.
“We will start him off tomorrow and see where he is at.”
Group One targets are on the horizon for Mach Schnell, with his connections eyeing a tilt at the Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2050m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day.
“He will improve a lot with the run and his main aim is the 2000m Zabeel Classic, that is his long-term goal,” Clotworthy said.
“He will probably head next to the Open 1500m on Melbourne Cup Day at Counties and then we will assess it after that.”
Many his connections also share in the ownership of unbeaten three-year-old Lupo Solitario, who will line-up at Te Rapa next weekend in the Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) for trainer Danica Guy.
“It’s nice having a couple of good ones racing around this Summer on the big days,” Howl said.