JJ Atkins on the cards for Kinloch
A tilt at the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June could be on the agenda for New Zealand Bloodstock graduate Kinloch. The Kris Lees-trained juvenile impressed when winning on debut over 900m at Newcastle on Thursday, weaving a path from the back of the field to win by a length over Kittyhawk Flyer.
The two-year-old colt is raced by a number of high-profile New Zealanders including Lib Petagna, Waikato Stud’s Mark and Garry Chittick, Jomara Bloodstock, and bloodstock agent Bruce Perry.
Perry was pleased with Thursday’s result and said while his connections were relatively confident heading into the race, they did have a slight concern about his outside barrier in the 12 horse field. “I couldn’t have been happier, we were expecting a pretty big run. He has always showed above average ability,” Perry said.
“The question mark on Thursday was the wide draw. But he needed the run, we had scratched him the previous week because he drew off the course. We couldn’t hold him back anymore really, so we had to throw the dice. “It was only 900m, so we decided we had to drag him back and ride him for a bit of luck. He ended up making his own luck, which was great and he duly delivered. “His closing sectionals were outstanding and just the way he did it. The jockey got off and said that they can’t normally do what he did, so we were very happy.”
The son of I Am Invicible will likely head to Randwick in a fortnight before a decision is made on future plans. “He will probably go to Randwick in two weeks’ time for a 1200m race,” Perry said. “From there we will decide if he needs a break or we press on towards Brisbane for the JJ Atkins, which is back to 1400m this year. “That’s our realistic target providing he does everything right between now and his next run.”
Perry identified Kinloch when inspecting Jamieson Park’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft and he went to $300,000 to secure his pick of the sale. “I had seen all the I Am Invicibles just three weeks before at the Magic Millions,” he said. “They made a lot of money and I thought this colt was the equal of any of those. He was a very athletic horse, well-balanced and from a lovely family. “He was probably the horse I liked the most at the sale and I was lucky enough to get him at a reasonable price.”
With the Covid-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions putting a halt to racing over the last month, Perry said he has been thankful racing has continued in Australia and he has been kept busy with his bloodstock portfolio. “I enjoy having an interest in horses racing in Australia,” he said. “I have been busy, there is a lot going on. I have still got a lot of horses under management and I have got mares and sorting out where they go to stud. “They have been full days, not a lot has changed. I have worked from home for the last 33 years on my own, so from that point-of-view not a lot has changed.”
A keen golfer, Perry hasn’t gone without over the last four weeks. While many golfers will be looking forward to Tuesday when they can start swinging their clubs again, Perry took it into his own hands and built a few holes on his Wairarapa property. “We have got a golf course at home now,” he said. “We have got a few holes, so in the evenings we go out and hit a few golf balls, which has been a lot of fun.”