Enigmatic four-year-old Danjuro (NZ) (Saxon Warrior) has been a work in progress for trainer Peter Didham, but the penny may be starting to drop with the son of Saxon Warrior, who scored his second consecutive victory in the Central ITM Wairarapa Cup (2050m) at Tauherenikau on Thursday.
The gelding settled off the pace for jockey Kavish Chowdhoory, who elected to shift to the inside when turning for home and weaved a path between leaders Richochet and Sailor Jack to score by a short head.
“They went a good clip in front, and he travelled beautifully throughout,” Chowdhoory said. “Instead of going out wide, which he can rein out sometimes, I snuck up on the fence and everything seemed to open up and he was good to the line.”
Didham was rapt with Chowdhoory’s efforts and said patience is finally starting to pay off with Danjuro.
“It was a really good ride, and I’d like to thank the owners because they have been patient,” he said.
Purchased for $140,000 out of Curraghmore’s 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft, Danjuro has shown plenty of ability from the outset, winning on debut at Woodville as a three-year-old and Didham thought enough of him to give him a tilt at the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton two months later, where he finished sixth behind Crocetti.
He remained winless until scoring at Wanganui last month and backed that up with Thursday’s eye-catching display.
“He has got a tonne of ability, but he’ll hang in, he’ll run off at Wellington, and out at the car park he got away before the start,” Didham said.
“I think when he is six or seven, he is a gelding, he could be a Cups horse. He has got that ability, it is just getting the brain with the body.
“It’s just one (race) at a time with him. We are just happy to get these two wins in a row. He has got it, but he is a bit smarter than me sometimes.”
Danjuro’s victory secured a winning double at the meeting for Didham, who was victorious earlier on the card with two-year-old filly War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag), who won on debut in the Pope & Gray Contractors Maiden 2YO (1000m) in the hands of Joe Doyle.
