Racing: NZ Derby attracts interest from across Tasman

Horse racing Persian Empire (inner) narrowly beaten by Tristanp at Moonee Valley. Photo / Darryl Sherer

Connections of the promising 3-year-old Persian Empire are keen to send him home on a Group One mission.

The Victoria-based son of Savabeel has been set for the Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), the March feature his expatriate Kiwi trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young came close to winning last season.

They sent Rising Red over from their Cranbourne base to finish runner-up to Gingernuts.

Persian Empire carries the colours of Ultra Thoroughbreds principal Sean Buckley and has a win and three placings from five appearances, including a narrow defeat at Moonee Valley last Friday in his first run over ground.

"He's gone to the paddock for a freshen-up and the plan is to get him over for the Derby," said Ultra's general manager, Toby Koenig.

"He still does a few things wrong and if he had settled a bit better on Friday he may have had that final kick to win, but he's still lightly raced and improving. We might bring a couple over, Captain Jimmy is a possible and they could have a run in one of the 3-year-old lead-ups."

Persian Empire was a $280,000 Karaka purchase from the 2016 draft of Haunui Farm, which will offer his half-brother (Lot 469) by Ocean Park during the Book 1 sale next year.

"He's been a bit of a troublemaker and when we got him back here after the sales he cut a foot quite badly and was in a cast," Koenig said.

"Then at the beginning of this preparation he got loose and cut his tongue badly and we had to work him on the treadmill, we couldn't put the bit in his mouth so there's a lot of improvement in him yet."

Also trained by Busuttin and Young, Jimmy Choux's son Captain Jimmy has won twice from four appearances. He was bought at last year's Ready to Run Sale for $120,000 out of the Diamond Lodge draft.

Meanwhile, Addictive Nature, another exciting son of Savabeel from Karaka, has returned to Bjorn Baker's Sydney stable.

- NZ Racing Desk