| The brilliant
son of Volksraad, Vinaka, has been rated the leading three-year-old (1200m-1600m) in New
Zealand in the 2001-2002 racing season. In the NZ
Free Handicaps released last week, Vinaka was allocated 58.5kg to easily head his
category.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief handicapper Dean
Nowell said the weight recognised Vinaka’s outstanding Group One win against the best
sprinters in New Zealand in the Telegraph Handicap (1200m) at Trentham.
"Not only did he win the Telegraph Handicap but he
beat the older horses on this occasion and then went on to finish a great third behind
Sunline at Waikato in the weight-for-age 1400m feature," said Nowell.
The Volksraad filly, Blackrock College, also performed with
distinction during the season and her efforts saw her rated the second equal leading
three-year-old of her sex in the country with 56kg. This placed her .5kg behind Final
Destination (56.5kg) and on the same weight as New Zealand Oaks winner Vapour Trail.
The highest-weighted two-year-old, Grout, is a grandson of
another Windsor Park Stud-based sire, Kaapstad. Grout’s dam is the Kaapstad mare,
Kaapstad Glamour. |
