All of the King’s horses for all the King’s Men, Ardalio’s (NZ) (Ardrossan) been picked to do it again – this time for the NZB Kiwi.
The lightly raced filly has been selected by The King’s Men to represent their slot in the inaugural $3.5 million 1500-metre feature on Barfoot & Thompson Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8.
The King’s Men moved quickly to snap up Ardalio less than a week after her victory in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) during the Karaka Millions twilight card at Ellerslie on January 25. In only the third start of her career, the daughter of Ardrossan exploded out of the pack to score a brilliant win. Her time of 1:08.86 was the second-fastest in the history of that feature three-year-old sprint.
Ardalio is a fitting representative for The King’s Men, whose syndicate member Mark Carter shared in the ownership of the filly’s sire Ardrossan under his family’s Jomara Bloodstock banner.
Ardrossan’s ownership group also included Ardalio’s owner-breeder Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, and the stallion himself raced from the Cambridge stable of Ardalio’s trainer Stephen Marsh.
“We’re thrilled to have secured such an exciting filly to race for our slot in the NZB Kiwi,” Carter commented. “She’s won twice from only three starts and has been hugely impressive.
“We were at Ellerslie last Saturday when she won the Almanzor, and as soon as she crossed the finish line, we thought ‘this might be the one for us’.
“In addition to what she’s done on the racetrack so far, we also really like her pedigree. We’re big fans of her sire Ardrossan, who we had a share in during his racing career, so she’s a good fit in more ways than one.”
Notably, Ardalio’s win in the Almanzor Trophy qualifies her for a share in an additional $1 million in bonuses on top of the NZB Kiwi’s base prizemoney. Horses that win selected Bonus Eligible races in either New Zealand or Australia, then finish in the top three in the NZB Kiwi, will receive bonuses of $600,000 for first, $250,000 for second or $150,000 for third.
“That initiative around the extra $1 million in bonuses was another real attraction from our perspective,” Carter said.
Petagna has first-hand experience with the concept of slot races. He also shared in the ownership of his homebred sprinter Lost And Running, who finished fourth in the A$15 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October of 2021.
“We’ve seen the excitement that these slot races can create,” he said. “One of the great things about them is the intrigue and interest that they generate through the weeks leading into the race as the Slot Holders make their selections.
“The big prizemoney is another important factor that generates a lot of publicity for the race as an event. It’s proven to be a fantastic thing for the sport in Australia, the signs are good that it will be the same here, and we’re very happy to be a part of it.
“It’s exciting to have a filly that we bred and race ourselves selected for the race, and it’s a real boost for her sire Ardrossan as well.
“We didn’t take Ardalio to the sales, because she wasn’t particularly big. We sent her to be pre-trained by Sam Logan, who really liked her all the way through, and then she went to Stephen Marsh and she didn’t take long to make a big impression on him.
“We couldn’t be happier with what she’s achieved on the racetrack so far, and now we can’t wait to take her back to Ellerslie again on March 8.”
Marsh has been similarly proud of what Ardalio has achieved within the space of just three starts so far. She made her debut at Matamata on December 20, kicking off her career with a stylish come-from-behind win.
Her first look around Ellerslie on January 12 produced a second placing, beaten by a head by Waikato Stud’s NZB Kiwi representative Sought After. The third-placegetter finished more than three lengths behind the first pair.
But it was the Almanzor Trophy that took her career to new heights.
“She’s still only lightly raced, and what she did on Karaka Millions night last week was outstanding,” Marsh said. “She’s a filly with a huge amount of upside.
“Her next start will be in the Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1400m) against the older mares at Matamata on February 15. That’s a suitable distance progression from the 1200m of the Almanzor, and it also gives us the right spacing with three-week gaps between the Almanzor, the Lisa Chittick and the Kiwi.
“Our team is absolutely thrilled to have her confirmed for a slot in the NZB Kiwi. It’s such an exciting new race on the New Zealand calendar, and it’s a real privilege to have a runner from our stable. We can’t wait.”
Slot Holders who are yet to confirm their runners in the NZB Kiwi are Barneswood Brady Nakhle, Ozzie Kheir, Cambridge Stud, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, Race Inc and the Selangor Turf Club.
