A pair of talented three-year-olds from last season locked horns in the Te Rapa straight on Saturday, with Tanganyika(NZ) (Ace High) claiming a narrow win over Talisker(NZ) (Embellish) in the Print House (1400m).
The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Tanganyika showed real promise in a five-start campaign as a three-year-old, recording two wins, a second and a third. His only time outside the top three was in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie in February, where he finished strongly from last to cross the line fifth and only a length from the winner. That black-type feature was won by Pericles, who himself scored a stylish win at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Tanganyika kicked off his current campaign with a fourth and a fifth over 1100m and 1200m, making up eye-catching ground in the final stages on both occasions. The step up to 1400m on Saturday looked ready-made for the Ace High gelding, and he was sent out as a $2 favourite.
For a large part of the race, it seemed likely that Tanganyika would find the Rating 75 as easy on the track as it looked on paper. He cruised in fourth as Leroy Brown set a solid speed out in front.
Jockey Masa Hashizume began to move Tanganyika through his gears coming up to the home turn, and he loomed ominously behind Leroy Brown and Talisker coming into the straight.
But when Hashizume released the brakes and drove Tanganyika past that pair, last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) runner-up Talisker saw him coming and went with him. It developed into a head-bobbing duel through the last 200m, with neither gelding giving an inch.
Talisker fought for all he was worth, but Tanganyika gradually gained the upper hand and edged out his gallant rival by a neck. Talisker beat the third-placed Keegan by two and three-quarter lengths.
Tanganyika’s eight-start career has now produced three wins, two placings and $57,820 in stakes.
“He’s a horse with a huge amount of ability and he has it all in front of him,” Scott said. “It was a good race for him today, going up to the seven furlongs and being able to settle a bit closer in the running. In those first couple of runs back, he was disadvantaged by wide barriers and had to drop well back over those shorter distances.
“He had a bit of luck go his way today and was able to take advantage of that with a strong win. He’s a horse we’ve always had a good opinion of, and he showed plenty of potential as a three-year-old last season. He’s still learning all the time.
“His position in the ratings means we can probably give him another run in Rating 75 company before we start raising the bar higher with him. We’ll be patient with him, give him another opportunity in this grade and hopefully continue to build his confidence up.”
Tanganyika is by promising Rich Hill Stud stallion Ace High out of a three-quarter-sister to the multiple Group winner Beauden. His second dam is the Group One performer Flying Babe, who was New Zealand’s champion two-year-old in 2000-01. Tanganyika was offered by Rich Hill at the 2021 National Weanling Sale at Karaka, where his owners the Olsen Partnership bought him for $42,500.
Rich Hill Stud will offer a full-brother to Tanganyika at Karaka 2025 in late January. The Ace High colt will go through the ring as Lot 670 in the Book 2 session.
