Chico Sonado (NZ) (Zed) has a long way to go to reach the lofty heights of his three-quarter sister Verry Elleegant (NZ), but his connections believe he has inherited some of the family talent.
The son of Zed was impressive when winning on debut over 1300m at Sandown on Wednesday for trainer Brett Scott, and he is excited about what is instore for the three-year-old gelding once he matures.
Jockey Jamie Mott had been pleased with Chico Sonado’s jumpouts in the lead-up to Wednesday, but admitted to being a bit concerned with the nervous animal he was met by in the mounting yard prior to Wednesday’s race.
“His jumpouts were great and if he put his jumpouts form to here (raceday), he was always going to be pretty competitive,” Mott told Racing.com.
“I didn’t like coming out to the mounting yard and seeing him in a muck lather of sweat.
“Scotty said he was a bit up and about the whole time he has been here, so that just shows the rawness of him, to be like that and then put in a performance like that out there. I think he could be one out of the box.”
While Mott was impressed with Chico Sonado’s performance over 1300m, he believes the gelding’s future lies over further ground.
“After his trials you are doing your best to stop him, even 1000m after the trial,” he said.
“The stamina is there and if he can turn into a nice, relaxed racehorse once we get him out to his perfect distance, then he could be a very serious racehorse.”
Out of a half-sister to Opulence, the dam of Verry Elleegant, Chico Sonado failed to meet his $100,000 reserve when offered through Grangewilliam Stud’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft, however, Scott was able to broker a deal at a later stage.
He has been delighted with his purchase and was beaming after Wednesday’s win.
“He was bought after the sale. He didn’t make his reserve but being a three-quarter brother to Verry Elleegant, I said to the owners all the way through that if he is half as good as her I’ll be happy,” Scott said.
“He has had a few barrier issues and had to learn a lot. I didn’t want to see him in front but he began that quickly that Jamie didn’t have any choice. He had to find a nice, medium pace and the best part was when they came at him he gave plenty at the end.
“On pedigree, distance shouldn’t be an issue. 1600m and beyond shouldn’t be a problem. We will probably give him another run this prep and put him aside for the spring.
“He has come a long way mentally as well as physically.”
Meanwhile, in Europe, Verry Elleegant has scanned in-foal to super stallion Sea The Stars.
“It’s the first scan but things are looking good and she’s on her way in the next part of her life,” part-owner Brae Sokolski said.
“She foals down there in the new year in 2024 and then she will be served Southern Hemisphere time later that year by a yet to be confirmed stallion and then come back to Australia in foal.”
