KEY POINTS:
A new $1 million race has kept promising 2-year-old Vincent Mangano in New Zealand.
Vincent Mangano took his unbeaten record to two in winning the $55,000 Wellesley Stakes (1000m) for 2-year-olds at Trentham.
Matamata trainer Peter McKay said there had been a good offer for the colt by
No Excuse Needed after he won a trial but he was content to bide his time.
"I said 'not at this time'," McKay said. "Not with a million-dollar race at the end of the season."
The race to which McKay was referring is the Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 27.
It is for graduates of this year's National Yearling Sales at which Vincent Mangano was bought for $80,000.
The Karaka Million is a new race but basically replaces the New Zealand Bloodstock Classique, except the stake is doubled from $500,000.
McKay said the Karaka Million was a genuine lure.
"We bought some nice ones this year and you have that carrot at the end of it. That's what we are going to aim for," he said.
"Why send them off to Hong Kong when they could be doing it here?
"Why keep buying nice horses to flick them off at little profit?"
McKay said Vincent Mangano had the potential to emulate his stable star Alamosa. One attribute the two horses shared was the ability to settle in their races.
"Neither horse will go out and pull and they always have a bit extra at the finish," he said.
" I think he's going to go through and do the same as Alamosa.
"I put them pretty much on a par. I wouldn't split them."
Alamosa was beaten a nose by Rios in the Group Two $100,000 Wellington Guineas shortly after the Wellesley, but at his previous start had won the $100,000 Hawkes Bay Guineas (1400m).
He was a top 2-year-old last season, with his wins including last year's Wellesley Stakes and the Group One $175,000 Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.
Vincent Mangano, like Alamosa, is owned by McKay along with his wife Kim and stable client Trevor Luke of Christchurch.
He has been ridden in each of his wins by Michael Walker who has had plenty of time for the horse from the outset.
"I've ridden a lot of 2-year-olds in trials and I've always said he would be the best out of the lot of them," Walker said.
"This horse has just kept improving from his first trial to his first race and then again to today. I've always had faith in this horse."
Walker said he could have gone to the lead with Vincent Mangano but preferred to settle just off the pace.
"I decided to teach him to settle for the bigger races later," he said.
Vincent Mangano went up to the leader, Silk Spur, early in the run home and the pair drew clear to fight out the finish with Vincent Mangano, a $2.90 second favourite, scoring by a long head.
Silk Spur was second and there was a gap of 2 1/4 lengths to Key Message third.
Second favourite Sir Invincible was fifth after being in behind the leading group throughout.
- NZPA
