| R3 TRENTHAM | 16 March 2019 |
| Nz St Leger LR OPEN ($48,000), 2600m 2:44.15 | |
| Race Synopsis: This Listed 2600m at set weights and penalties saw a rising 10yo in Sampson absolutely obliterate his rivals and glaringly highlight once again that the stayer depth in New Zealand is at an all time low.
There are no stamina sires bar the odd jumper provider anymore as everything is geared to get up and running early types chasing Sales specific bonuses.
Sampson (slight spelling difference) ironically is fabled for strength and so once was the New Zealand bred stayer but we race and breed in very different times now and are headed in directions that seem to defy common business sense.
The track today at Trentham looked awful and was chipping badly from the outset plus the grass was obviously left too long and added to the overall poor presentation and performance.
The times all day (bar the chute times as they are always bionic and not a realistic guide whatsoever) were slack (a Benchmark72 almost ran 1:40 for a mile) and a G3 winner with upside galore ran almost 1:38 for the mile.
The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (three-off the fence and a neck ahead), led (one-off the fence and a length ahead), led (one-off the fence and four lengths ahead), fourth (five-off the fence and a length and a half from the leader), eighth (deepest (nine-off the fence) and two lengths from the leader), seventh (second widest (nine-off the fence) and two lengths from the leader), fourth (seven off the fence and two and a half lengths from the leader), fourth (five-off the fence and half a length from the leader) and second (six-off the fence and half a length from the leader).
The 9yo Sampson won a Listed race easily in January this year with 56kg and then had a health setback and did not reappear for seven more weeks.
Today was his third run back and at 55.5kg he raced seventh then was sent around the field to take the lead at the 1200m before applying stamina heat on his ten other rivals.
A two length lead across the top became double that turning for home and then double that again at the 200m before he coasted in to score by over eight lengths (it could have been ten or more if not throttled back late) and clocked 2:44.15.
It was his eleventh win in sixty-four starts and his biggest winning margin by an enormous amount ever, so the opposition he is meeting clearly has got substantially worse and worse.
Prior to his January win this year his next win before that came in April of 2017 and that says it all regarding stayer depth in New Zealand because a 9yo flat galloper does not improve as that is physically impossible.
It is the opposition that has deteriorated to a feeble stage and stamina is almost non-existent in the New Zealand breed anymore.
Lucetta, a 4yo mare that was not born when Sampson had raced countless times already and won five races, ran on solidly for a very distant second after settling down last.
Soleseifei raced eighth or ninth the inner and got held up at the 300m before coming through and reaching a very distant third at the 200m.
Korakanui raced back on the outer with the third finisher but went wide across the top and she kept coming to finish fourth but was beaten almost ten lengths.
Special Light led up but once headed midrace by the eventual winner was then trailing third the inside and reached second at the 600m before seeing the gap ahead widen considerably.
Vainglory from sixth the outer lost her place near the home turn and straightened up second last before grinding on for sixth.
The rest were outclassed or cannot stay especially if they have to do a yard of extra work in the running.
Sampson at this rate will come back next season for this very race as a 10yo and fear nothing regards stamina and that is an indictment on how far the once marvelled at New Zealand bred stayer has fallen.
Australian bred runners are winning New Zealand staying races now regularly (they won the G1 NZ Derby this season) and there is no age or sex or racing type/class/condition that has any real dominance anymore.
An Australian bred filly today ran third in the G1 NZ Oaks here later in the card and was the most impressive run of the entire race as she settled down stone cold last and went around the whole field a long way out whereas the two that beat her home had soft fence runs and cut the corner.
The alarm bells never sounded clearly regarding future proofing an industry strength and keeping a clear distinct selling edge, so the shrinkage and gradual demise cannot be blamed on anyone else.
Self infliction surely should always cause self reflection.
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Yealands Family Wines NZ St Leger
1st: 1 Sampson (Johnathan Parkes)
2nd: 9 Lucetta (Matthew Cameron)
3rd: 5 Soleseifei (Lisa Allpress)
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