Three-year-old gelding El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) is looking to continue his family’s legacy after comfortably securing his maiden win in the DPA Chartered Accountants (1200m) at Taupo on Friday.
The son of Shocking had shown plenty of ability in his trials, and when runner-up on debut as a juvenile in May, but failed to flatter when first-up on the Cambridge Synthetic earlier this month.
He atoned for his last start with victory on Friday after sitting outside pacemaker Moana for the majority of the journey.
“He finally put it all together today and delivered how we really hoped. We hoped to see the proper horse today and we did,” trainer Stephen Marsh said.
“He has shown a lot of promise, we never doubted his ability, but that last start was just a disaster.
“Today he certainly put his right foot forward, we had been expecting that for a while, and I was very pleased to see it today on a good track.”
Marsh is well familiar with his family, having trained many of his siblings, including Group One performer Chocante.
“This horse is actually the best type out of the lot that I have had,” Marsh said. “They haven’t been too good through the legs but he is a very good type, correct, and has got a great temperament. I do think he is the best of them.”
El Vencedor is also the half-brother of Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Sky Darci, who was purchased out of Highden Park’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $160,000.
Marsh thinks there are big things instore for El Vencedor who will have his first stakes assignment in a fortnight before a potential trip south to Christchurch in November for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
“The family is good, that mare (Strictly Maternal) has done a great job and I think this guy will carry on through to some very good races,” Marsh said.
“He will go to the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) in 15 days. If he can go well down there then he will be on a path directly to the Guineas.”
