Danjuro to chase Karaka Million riches
The connections of promising three-year-old Danjuro have their eyes on a $1.5 million prize following his impressive debut win at Woodville on Thursday.
The son of Saxon Warrior jumped well and settled outside leader Bella Corno and under the urgings of jockey Johnathan Parkes was able to get up over his adversary in the closing stages to win by a short head, with a further short neck back to the fast-finishing Grid Girl.
Trainer Peter Didham was rapt with the result and said his connections are in for an exciting ride, with the gelding far from a finished product.
“He is a lovely, tall, athletic horse, but mentally and physically he is probably six months away,” Didham said.
“He was on and off the bridle and didn’t really know what to do. He is probably better midfield and chasing other horses at this stage.
“He looked a good horse in the birdcage and I think the second and third horses are very promising as well, so I think there will be a bit of form out of the race.
“It was good to get the win under the belt for the syndicate. They are really nice owners who paid a bit of money for him. They have had some offers and have rejected them, it’s nice to have a nice horse in the stable.”
Didham was taken by Danjuro when expecting him at Karaka as a yearling last year and went to $140,000 to secure him out of Curraghmore’s draft.
Nominated for the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, Didham said Danjuro could head towards the Christchurch Classic, but he is also eyeing a richer prize in the $1.5million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) in Auckland two months later.
“We will just take him quietly through the next couple of weeks and then we will find a 1400m and go from there,” Didham said.
“He is Karaka nominated and I know it is a long way to go yet and we have only won a maiden at Woodville, but he is going to grow into a nice horse and the Saxon Warriors appear that they want at least a mile, and he has always looked like he wants a mile.”