One Prize One Goal is also a gentle giant. He stands 16 hands and weighs 568kg but is so placid and docile that Somervell can take him just about anywhere. He loves the limelight and is quite happy to be paraded in strange confined spaces.
"He is such a kind horse and has always had a great empathy with people," Somervell said.
Back in May Somervell got a request from Cranford Hospice saying that one of the inpatients, Lee-anne Hulson, was a horse lover who dearly wanted to get up close to a horse again.
Having lost his wife to cancer in 2016 and Shirin Wood having also lost her husband to the same disease that same year, Somervell said he was only too happy to oblige.
"My wife was in a hospice in Cambridge before she died and Shirin's husband Kevin was in Cranford before he died so we wanted to repay them for all the great work they do," Somervell said.
With the help of Cranford staff, he arranged for One Prize One Goal to parade in the gardens at the centre and Hulson was there to greet him, along with several other inpatients and a number of staff members.
Lee-anne Hulson, a distant relation of the legendary Australian racehorse trainer Bart Cummings, sadly died from cancer a few days later but her family said she was clearly overjoyed at being able to get up close to 'Freddy' before she died.
One Prize One Goal has not been without his own problems as a racehorse with Somervell saying he has suffered from a breathing affliction for the past 12 months, which has sometimes affected his racing performances.
"He is a very genuine horse but has had breathing problems," Somervell said after last week's win.
"They couldn't operate on him because it was too far back in the throat but we race him in a drop-over nose band now and that seems to help him breathe better."
Somervell was on the point of retiring One Prize One Goal when he managed only eighth out of 13 runners over 1300m at Hastings on July 29 but his rider that day, Trudy Thornton, convinced the trainer to persevere with at least one more run.
"Trudy was keen to stick with him at Taupo last week and said she knew how to ride him. Because of his wind problem he is not a horse that you can sit on and try to sprint because he doesn't get enough oxygen," Somervell said.
"You have to make one long sustained run on him and that is exactly what Trudy did."
Thornton let One Prize One Goal settle midfield in the early stages before starting a forward move entering the last 800m. They improved quickly around the field to challenge for the lead, four-wide, on the home turn and the horse maintained a strong run to the line to win by half a length.
Somervell said this week that One Prize One Goal will now be aimed at a $30,000 Rating 72 race over 1300m at Hastings on September 19.
It would be another significant milestone if the horse was to win again that day as it is the first day of the Bostock New Zealand Hawke's Bay spring carnival and traditionally known as "Daffodil Raceday". The proceeds from gate takings and other on-course appeals that day go to the Hawke's Bay Cancer Society.
"He may have another run before that meeting as that is still a month away but I'll just see how he does over the next week or so," Somervell said.
One Prize One Goal is out of the Towkay mare Sheeza Kinda Magic, who has also left the four-race winner Jakob Gambino.
The mare has now ceased breeding but Shirin Wood and her son have a two-year-old full-sister to One Prize One Goal coming on.
"She has been broken in and will come into work next month," Somervell said.
"She is quite a precocious filly so she should come to hand a lot quicker than Freddy did and may even make a Christmas 2-year-old," he added.
Kiwis draw well in Winx Stakes
New Zealand entrants The Bostonian and Melody Belle have both drawn well for today's Group 1 $543,000 Winx Stakes at Randwick, in Sydney, as they look to add to their Australian stake earnings.
The Bostonian has drawn the No 1 barrier for the 1400m weight-for-age feature while Melody Belle will jump from barrier six.
Cambridge trainer Tony Pike said this week barrier one should be ideal for The Bostonian, who is having his first start back in a new campaign.
"He likes to hold the rail and race on speed and he has a great record fresh up," Pike said.
He was also pleased to hear that Sydney has experienced fine weather for most of the past week.
"He does go good with a cut out of the ground but we wouldn't want a heavy track for him first up over 1400 metres," he added.
New South Wales jockey Jay Ford has been engaged to ride The Bostonian, with Nash Rawiller suspended and James McDonald committed to Verry Elleegant.
Kerrin McEvoy will again ride Melody Belle and her trainer, Jamie Richards, says the Commands mare has improved a lot since she finished last of six runners when resuming in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on August 8.
Melody Belle has rarely produced her best fresh up and Richards is confident she can turn that form around over 1400m on the bigger Randwick track.
"We have just got to put a line through her first up run," Richards said.
"There were a couple of things against her, she was first up on an unsuitable wet track and got back in a small field and struggled to make ground.
"Her sectionals say she still ran okay and we have been happy with her since that run.
"Kerrin rang after the race and said don't worry, she ran okay and will improve. She had a good blow," Richards added.
Melody Belle's Group 1 winning stablemate Probabeel adds to the Kiwi assault on today's Sydney meeting when she resumes in the Group 3 $174,000 Show County Quality (1200m).
The Savabeel mare has had two trials to help prepare her but is expected to improve from the race.
"She doesn't overexert herself in her trials," Richards said.
"She will be vulnerable first-up and will probably find it short of her best, there is no doubt about that. However, I think she is in a good enough spot to be competitive."
Probabeel was unplaced in two New Zealand trials before campaigning in Sydney last spring, where she had three starts for two seconds and a fourth.
Injured Elliot hungry for return
Injured jockey Ryan Elliot is determined to be leaner and keener to make the most of his future riding on the flat when he returns.
Elliot, who served his apprenticeship under Graeme and Debbie Rogerson, is sidelined with a broken collarbone after falling from Ave Maria at the first fence in the Waikato Hurdle earlier this month and doesn't expect to be back in action until late next month.
"I was told it could be up to six weeks, but it all depends how it mends. I hope to be back sooner," Elliot said.
The 21-year-old Elliot has just completed his first season as a professional jockey after being the country's leading apprentice with 60 wins in the previous term and, though the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the final months of 2019-20, he was happy with his results.
He finished on 66 wins, including three black type victories, and finished fourth on the New Zealand jockeys' premiership.
Since racing resumed Elliot has kicked home eight winners (one this season), but his opportunities have been reduced through his battle to reduce his weight.
"I've had a growth spurt and being off in lockdown, even though I rode some trackwork, my body blew out," he said. "I'd never had a proper holiday and I got up to 65kgs.
"I got it down to ride 56kg before I broke my collarbone and I'll be looking to get it down further after I start back riding.
As well as having the support of some leading Waikato trainers, Elliot has made some successful trips to the Central Districts and enjoyed riding a few jumpers for Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers, including a winning double aboard Class Above and Zentangle at Hastings in May of last year.
But his focus is to pursue his flat career and add to his career total of 227 wins and 11 black type victories, which includes the Group 3 City Of Auckland Cup (2400m) on Prince Jabeel, and the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) on Gorbachev.
