Wall Street 6th Spring Carnival G1 for Karaka

Wall Street capped off one of the best Victoria Spring Carnivals ever for New Zealand Bloodstock when he notched up the sixth Group 1 victory for the Karaka sale ring with a mighty win in Saturday's $1 million Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m).

The son of Montjeu also collected the 11th individual Group 1 victory, and 35th stakes event, for New Zealand this spring in Australia, from just 5.2% of starters in Australia that carry the NZ suffix.

There have been a total of 18 Group 1 races run over Melbourne's Spring Carnival and New Zealand bred horses have won nine of them (50%), with New Zealand dominating in three G1 trifectas (Caulfield Cup, MacKinnon Stakes & VRC Oaks).

Of the 24 Group 1 races run throughout Australia this season, NZ bred horses have won 11 to date (45%).

As those who have been following Wall Street over the past two seasons would know, there was little doubt that he would be able to match it with the best in one of Australia's elite Group 1 events, and Saturday's display did not disappoint.

In a clear change of tactics from trainer Jeff Lynds, Wall Street raced in blinkers and a tongue tie and raced towards the back of the pack, rather than on the pace as seen in the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown.

In the hands of Hugh Bowman, Wall Street travelled wide throughout the race but settled well, making his move at the 600 metres coming very wide on the home turn. In a thrilling contest in the straight, Bowman kept quiet on the son of Montjeu to the final furlong where he asked the six-year-old for the final effort. In a blanket finish with Dao Dao, Chasm and Trusting, Wall Street proved too strong, winning Melbourne's premier mile by a head.

 

Wall Street (purple) wins the Emirates Stakes

Trainer Jeff Lynds was very happy with Wall Street's performance which saw the six-year-old win his fourth Group 1 race.

 

"He's got a good turn of foot and it's a great pleasure to come and win this. We've come here many times before and I haven't had any luck but things have gone right this trip.

"We're going to spell him and bring him back for the autumn and see how he goes right-handed and come back and have another crack at the Cox Plate."

Hugh Bowman was also very impressed with the effort with the win capping off a great spring for Bowman as he also won the Group 1 VRC Derby on fellow kiwi, Lion Tamer.

"Jeff and I spoke at length about the horse, we expected to be in the first four or five but they seemed to go really hard early and I didn't want to stoke him up with those blinkers.

"He was pretty keen going to the barriers and I was able to settle him and that was the key to winning. I had a soft run early but there was a lot of interference in front of me, it wasn't bad just horses being shuffled back in front of me and I just had to get him out into clear room.

"He actually got into a nice rhythm then and I was pretty confident at the furlong but they were coming from all sides at the post.

"It was a blanket finish and I was certainly at the top but he really fought on and that's what you need, a horse that really wants to win and there's no doubt that this guy's like that."

Wall Street's win has taken New Zealand Bloodstock's Australian Spring Group 1 tally to six, an achievement that is unmatched by any sale company in Australasia.

Bred by C W Wong and owned by G G Syndicate Ltd, G K V Holdings Ltd & M A Head, Wall Street was bought by Paul Moroney Bloodstock from Te Mania Thoroughbreds in the 2006 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale for $100,000.

He has now won 11 of his 19 starts - four at Group 1 level - for stakes earnings in excess of $1.4 million.

Wall Street has a half-brother by Spartacus nominated for the 2011 Karaka National Yearling Sales Series on 31 January. He also has a close relative, a colt by Iffraaj from Wahaha, a half-sister to Wall Street, nominated for Karaka 2011.

Iffraaj's progeny are sure to be in hot demand after the season he has had in the Northern Hemisphere, equalling Invincible Spirit's first-crop record of 35 individual winners. He is also the sire of the unbeaten Group 1 winner Wootton Bassett and the Group 3 winner Espirita.

Wahaha also has a colt at Lot 139 from Kilgraven Lodge heading to the NZB Ready to Run Sale next week.

New Zealand's 2010 Australian Spring Carnival race wins include: