Tavago wins another Derby for New Zealand
Natalie Young has become the first woman to train an ATC Australian Derby winner as the trophy heads to New Zealand for the third time in four years.
Tavago ($31) gave Young and her partner Trent Busuttin an upset win in Saturday’s 2400m Classic at Randwick with the odds-on favourite Tarzino ($1.65) never improving from fourth.
Although Young and Busuttin have been credited as training partners for many years at home, only Busuttin’s name was beside that of Sangster when he won the 2011 Victoria Derby.
“She is twice the horsewoman than I am a trainer,” Busuttin said.
“It does make it more special that Natalie’s name is there on the record.”
There was almost no name connected with the horse when he and several others were left stranded in New Zealand because of a mechanical problem with their plane.
They finally arrived on Thursday night giving Tavago the chance to add his name alongside last year’s winner Mongolian Khan and It’s a Dundeel (2013).
It was also a first Derby win for Tommy Berry who had the gelding third behind Jameka ($8) with Oh So Splendido ($151) taking the lead.
In the straight, Berry sent Tavago to the front and he responded to put 3-1/4 lengths on Jameka, the only filly in the field.
Tally ($8) made ground to finish another 1-1/4 lengths third.
Tavago’s win was a timely win for his stable with Busuttin and Young to move their operation from Cambridge to Cranbourne in July.
“We’ve got 40 boxes at the new Cranbourne centre and we’ll be based there from July,” Young said.
“It has certainly been a timely win and I think we have a great team coming over.
“I’m not sure about this horse. We had the Queensland Derby in mind and it’s still there.
“He was nice and relaxed out there and Tommy gave him a great ride.
“He got him out of the gates well and that was the key.”
Berry had done his homework, studying footage of the New Zealand Derby in which Tavago swooped from a long way back to finish sixth, less than two lengths from the winner.
“The horse has been missing the kick so we concentrated on waking him up a little bit behind the barriers to get him up there on the speed,” Berry said.
“He spotted them 25 lengths the other day and flew home to run sixth. A lot of people probably overlooked his run.
“One of my best thrills in racing was winning the Hong Kong Derby on Designs on Rome but to do it in my homeland in Australia, God its brilliant.”
Ciaron Maher was thrilled by the effort of Jameka who heads to next Saturday’s Australian Oaks while Tarzino’s trainer Mick Price said he believed the soft track was against the colt.
“This track had me a bit concerned,” Price said.
“It’s a bit gluggy.
“He was just on his wrong leg the whole way.
“It suggested to me he’s just floundering a bit – changing his stride and struggling in ground.”