Humidor had missed the winner's enclosure by less than a length on his three prior starts this term, but he put it all together when it mattered most on Saturday, earning a first Group 1 win in the A$1.5-million Australian Cup. The bay, who was purchased in part by his owners from New Zealand in the spring, made a lone start in Australia last season, finishing ninth in the G1 Cantala S. He was beaten 3/4 of a length first-up over 1400 metres in the Listed John Dillon S. at Caulfield on Jan. 26, and shortened the margin to just a quarter-length when second in the G3 Carlyon Cup on Feb. 11 and the G2 Peter Young S. on Feb. 25.
Traveling with just two behind down the backstretch on Saturday as Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) set the pace from Awesome Rock (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Jameka on his outside, Humidor began to gradually pick off rivals on the outside rounding the turn. Widest of all at the top of the lane as Jameka struck the front, Humidor worked his way down the middle of the track under Damian Lane, drawing even with the mare at the 50 metre mark and ultimately getting her measure by a neck. Exospheric, who formerly raced as Exosphere in Britain and won last year's G2 Jockey Club S. at Newmarket in the Juddmonte silks, came from a long last early to get up on the rail for third.
Trainer Darren Weir nominated the G1 The BMW over 1 1/2 miles in Sydney in two weeks' time as the next stop for Humidor, and Jameka's trainer Ciaron Maher said the mare is also set to head to Sydney.
Pedigree Notes…
Humidor becomes the 15th Group 1 winner worldwide for Teofilo and his fourth in Australia. He is the fifth produce of the three-time winner Zalika, who last year produced a colt by Makfi (GB). Humidor's third dam is the champion juvenile and champion sprinter Habibti (Ire) (Habitat), the winner of three Group 1 sprints in Europe. Appearing under the fourth dam is Australia's brilliant Horse of the Year Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), whose 10 Group 1 wins included the Cox Plate, Australian Derby and Australian Cup. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Saturday, Flemington, Australia
AUSTRALIAN CUP-G1, A$1,505,000, VRC, 3-11, Open WFA, 2000mT, 2:01.07, Good.
1–&HUMIDOR (NZ), 59.0, g, 4, by Teofilo (Ire)
1st Dam: Zalika (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ)
2nd Dam: Desert Darling (GB), by Green Desert (USA)
3rd Dam: Habibti (IRE), by Habitat (USA)
O-Forest Lodge Racing, Jomara Bloodstock Ltd, Steeplechasers
Flat Synd, M Krauser, Dr P Goel, Mrs Adams, B Shannon, T
Ginnane, D O'Connor, B Sokolski, Walker Racing & Bloodstock,
Roy; B-Jomara Bloodstock Ltd, Auckland, NZ; T-D K Weir;
J-Damian Lane; A$905,000. Lifetime Record: GSW & G1SP-NZ,
14-5-5-1, A$1,113,344. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Jameka, 57.0, m, 4, Myboycharlie (IRE)–Mine Game, by
General Nediym. (A$130,000 Ylg 2014 WI Melbourne Premier
Yearling Sale) O-C L Maher, Mrs J M Mckenna, D Degenhardt, T
A Cole-Sinclair, M R Fallon, G M Verdoorn, S Priestley & Mrs S
A Cockram, Ms J Nolte, M Mills, & Halo Racing Services Pty Ltd;
B-Gilgai Farm VIC; T-C Maher; J-J Bowman; A$270,000.
3–Exospheric (GB), 59.0, h , 5, Beat Hollow (GB)–Bright and
Clear (GB), by Danehill (USA). O-A Kheir, P M Mehrten, J A
O'Neill, A M Butler, J Sourasis, A L Kirkwood-Scott, B D
Nettlefold, F Palazzo, F Hachem, C Oliver, J & M Kheir Builders
(Mgr: Ms M Kheir) & Carty Racing; B-Clare Castle Farm IRE;
T-Lee & Anthony Freedman; J-D Oliver; A$135,000.
Margins: 0.4 len, 1.7 len, 1.9 len. Odds: 3.20, 3.20, 9.00.
Also Ran: Stratum Star, The United States (IRE), Boom Time, Tally, Ecuador (NZ), Awesome Rock, Tom Melbourne (IRE), Mourinho.
Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.
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