Racing: Darren Weir to weave his magic in Derby

NZ Herald·

27 Feb, 2018 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Civil Disobedience gallops solo on the course proper yesterday morning with Tommy Logan in the saddle. Photo / Trish Dunell

The king of Australian racing is finally coming to New Zealand but isn't bringing his biggest guns with him.

But that doesn't mean champion trainer Darren Weir can't win Saturday's $1 million Vodafone NZ Derby at Ellerslie.

Weir has become the cheery magic man of Australian trainers, with massive numbers in work that allowed him to train more than 400 winners last season.

But he is also able to succeed at the highest levels, winning the Melbourne Cup three years ago with Prince Of Penzance while he almost ruined Winx's Cox Plate party last October when Humidor lunged at the freakish mare late.

Weir will have his first Ellerslie runner on Saturday when Tasmanian Derby winner Civil Disobedience tackles the NZ Derby and his camp were happy with the rugged three-year-old's first look at the track.

Civil Disobedience galloped solo on the course proper yesterday morning and with the not inconsiderable bulk of Tommy Logan in the saddle worked his last 600m in 35.37 seconds.

He shied just after the winning post, hardly a rarity for newcomers having their first look at Ellerslie, but will be a better horse on Saturday for the experience.

The Weir stable still don't know how good Civil Disobedience is, with the South Island-bred galloper rated somewhere between a South Australian (weaker) and ATC Derby (top class) contender.

"The timing is right for this Derby, which is one of the reasons he is here," said Weir's racing manager Jeremy Rogers. "He won the Tasmanian Derby three weeks ago very well and we know he can stay so we had three choices: go to New Zealand, wait for the SA Derby or set him for the Derby in Sydney.

"But this is a million dollar race so was a great target so we are happy to have him there.

"We don't know how good he is yet and Saturday might tell us that. The horses who have won or run well in the New Zealand Derby in recent years have tended to go on and do a good job in Sydney."

Weir's respected assistant Jarrod McLean will arrive in New Zealand today to oversee the final stages of Civil Disobedience's preparation, with outstanding young rider Ben Allen to ride on Saturday.

While Allen is still an apprentice he is no stranger to Ellerslie, having ridden two winners there at the Jockeys' Challenge meeting in December. "Ben having been there before was the obvious choice to go over and ride him," said Rogers.

While Civil Disobedience is hardly a glamour galloper - a lot of Derby winners aren't until after the fact - Weir has picked the right Derby to attack. Saturday's classic has a very open look to it, with the two big name three-year-old colts who have won group ones in New Zealand this season, Embellish and Age Of Fire, either already in or heading for Australia. With one-time Derby favourite Demonetization unfortunately ruled out by injury and the major lead up races having seen the spoils spread around, who will start favourite on Saturday, let alone win, remains undecided.

The draw for the Derby will be released at lunchtime today.

The other big name to gallop on the course proper yesterday was Karaka Million winner Avantage, who broke one minute for her last 1000m in what was treated like a two-horse trial with Opie Bosson in the saddle.

"She hasn't raced for four weeks and needed a trip away and a good hit out," said Te Akau boss David Ellis.

"She is heading to the Sistema Stakes here on Saturday week so this will benefit her greatly and she will have another strong gallop at home on Saturday."

Ellis says Saturday's stunning Matamata winner Sword Of Osman will also head to the Sistema (formerly the Diamond) and both juveniles could end up in Sydney in the autumn.

"If Avantage can remain unbeaten in the Sistema then we will look very seriously at the Golden Slipper two weeks later," says Ellis. "Whereas Sword Of Osman could go over to Sydney for the Sires' Produce."