Foxton trainer Chrissy Bambry admits to having a few doubts about Kingfisher Lad when she took him to Hawera for Saturday’s NZ Farmers Livestock Ltd Egmont Cup (2100m), but he came out on top with one of the toughest performances of his 26-start, six-win career.
The six-year-old son of Unencumbered has had a roller-coaster campaign in recent weeks. He was a four-length winner at Awapuni on August 26, then produced a big late run for a close second in the Waverley Cup (2200m) behind the in-form Semper Magico.
Kingfisher Lad blotted his copybook last start in the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) at Awapuni on September 23, finishing at the tail of the 16-horse field and slipping off the radar to be sent out at double-figure odds for the Egmont Cup a couple of weeks later. But he was right back on top of his game in Saturday’s $60,000 feature.
Ridden by Lily Sutherland, Kingfisher Lad was prominently placed throughout, settling in second on the outside of the front-running Pinion.
Those two were still in the thick of the action at the top of the home straight, but they were soon joined by strong-finishing rivals Aljay, Inmyshadow, Uareastar, Za’faran and Waisake. The stayers lined up across the track in a desperate scramble to the finish, and Kingfisher Lad dug the deepest of all to win by a long neck.
“He loves to prove me wrong,” said Bambry, who also bred and part-owns the gelding. “I didn’t think he was completely spot on today, but then he came out and produced that performance. He was very good and so tough.
“I think the rain on the day was what brought him undone in that Metric Mile in his previous start. People have him pegged as a wet-tracker, but it doesn’t actually suit him at all when it rains like that on the day and the track ends up being so loose. He can probably get away with it in lower classes, but not against those top horses. So it was good to see him back on track again today.”
Bambry is now keen to point Kingfisher Lad towards the Listed Wanganui Cup (2040m) on December 2.
“I’ll probably look to give him a bit of a freshen-up now, then concentrate on getting him to the Wanganui Cup,” Bambry said.
Saturday’s Egmont Cup could also have a bearing on another upcoming staying feature, with a number of the protagonists nominated for the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on November 18.
Runner-up Pinion is now rated a $10 chance for the New Zealand Cup, while defending champion Aljay is a $6 joint favourite after his eye-catching third on Saturday. The fourth and fifth placegetters in the Egmont Cup, Inmyshadow and Uareastar, are rated $8 and $16 chances respectively in the New Zealand Cup market.