Beefeater to target Trentham summer carnival after Awapuni win
The Alamosa five-year-old lumped topweight of 60 kilograms to victory as he outlasted pacemaker Stephenstihls in a dour home-straight battle to score by a long neck in the rating 85 1550 metre event.
The Roydon Bergerson trained gelding was having his first run back since finishing fifth in the Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at Riccarton in November and looked to be vulnerable in the closing stages after hitting the front early in the run home.
Rider Rosie Myers didn’t panic as she got the best from her charge to notch the first of a winning treble on the day.
“It was a good ride by Rosie as she used her initiative to pop off the fence down the back straight and not get caught in behind them,” said Bergerson.
“It was a good strong win as he carried a big weight.”
Bergerson indicated Beefeater would be back in action on his home track for his next assignment before setting his sights on the Trentham summer carnival in late January.
“I’ll have to have a chat with his owners, Mr and Mrs Grace, but I think the better option will be to come back here for the Summer Cup and then go to Wellington,” he said.
Myers was pleased with the winning effort despite her charge displaying some wayward tendencies.
“Roydon said he had the 60 kilos so to put him on the speed as he couldn’t really sprint with that weight,” she said.
“He’s a big kid really as he gets to the front then gawks around, but he has all the ability in the world.”
The win was the fifth in a 21-start career for Beefeater who races in the familiar colours of owner and breeder, Christopher Grace.