The Mighty Spar - Mighty Indeed

Capping good form, The Mighty Spar (4 g Savabeel - O'Dianne, by O'Reilly) won $12,000 Rating 65 1600 metres on 13 January at Otaki.

After winning as a three-year-old, powering home over 1400 metres at Matamata, The Mighty Spar got back and ran home well in a leader dominated Rating 65 1400 metres on 11 December at Te Rapa, before posting the fastest last 600m (35.4) when second in a Rating 65 1560 metres on 28 December at Rotorua.

The form looked good and he rated a top three prospect despite drifting in favouritism to pay $5.10 & $2.00 on NZ TAB tote.

Also continuing good form, Te Akau apprentice Joe Kamaruddin notched his 10^thwin since 3 January with another mature and strong performance.

From barrier seven, he positioned The Mighty Spar midfield inner, was across heels to the outside on straightening and let down with an undeniable finish. On Dead4 footing, The Mighty Spar ran 1600 metres in polished 1:35.8.

“It was a good win by The Might Spar and aided by a very nice ride from Joe (Kamaruddin),” said trainer Jamie Richards, who preserved a remarkable 3.2 strike rate at Otaki, and extended his lead to 61 wins for the season.

“He saved ground, got out into the better part of the going and I thought the horse won really well. He'd been building to that, he was unlucky at Rotorua, and we'd been pleased with how he had trained on since then.

“Joe is riding in a purple patch. He didn't have a lot of luck today on Prismatic (Savabeel) when held up at a crucial time and dashed home to finish second.

“The team is going well, the horses are thriving and we have some nice horses to present in the next month. All the team work hard, doing a great job, and The Mighty Spar is in the Uni Barn with Hunter (Durrant) and Laura (Macnab).

“Hunter is going to stay down there tonight and look after the horses for Saturday at Trentham, and the staff, they're here at 3.30 a.m. this morning, having a break, and back tidying up here now around 5 p.m. giving them their feed and everything they need. I'm very proud of the way the whole team is gelling together and putting everything into it.”

Owned by Te Akau 2019 Karaka Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), The Mighty Spar was purchased by David Ellis CNZM at Karaka, from Book 1 draft of Waikato Stud.

By Cox Plate (Gr. 1, 2040m) winning three-year-old Savabeel (Zabeel), the six-time Champion Sire that proved himself one of the most versatile stallions in Australasia, The Mighty Spar has a lovely cross of immortal sire Northern Dancer on dam side of Zabeel, sire of Savabeel, and through the sire line of dam sire O'Reilly.

“He's a horse we really liked as a yearling, an outstanding looking individual,” Ellis said. “It was another impressive win today by a horse that's just needed a bit of time and I'm thrilled for his owners, who include some of our close friends.

“Jamie (Richards) has done a great job with him, winning for the second time inside ten starts and on that run I think he can improve further from today, and the trip away won't do him any harm either.

“He's always shown good attributes, finds the line well, and I can see him turning into a useful horse next season. Opie (Bosson) was impressed when he won his Maiden on him.

“These horses were taken down to the Manawatu by Hunter Durrant, who is doing a fantastic job with us. He's shortly going to take Probabeel and Kahma Lass to Australia, and he's one of the best young men we've ever had working for our team and he's got a big future.

“Joe (Kamaruddin) is going great guns. He smiles, normally, but we can't get the grin off his face at the moment and his strike rate on our horses this year is nothing short of superb.”

Coincidentally, sponsor Cavallo Farm & Chris Rutten Bloodstock also sponsored a race at the previous Otaki meeting won by stable-mate Exaltation (Not A Single Doubt) and Joe Kamaruddin.

The Mighty Spar was strapped by Hunter Durrant.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz