Trish Dunell
New Zealand-bred galloper Frosted Gold landed the Gr.2 South African Nursery (1160m) on Champions Day at Turffontein under a typically powerful ride from Anton Marcus.
The Mike de Kock-trained New Zealand import turned the tables on old adversary Twilight Moon (Wylie Hall), who won last time the duo clashed. In their first meeting it was a dead-heat.
Bred by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, Frosted Gold came with a strong run to overhaul his Paul Matchett-trained rival and win the R750,000 (approx. NZ$80,000) contest by 1-1/2 lengths.
Marcus said that the son of All Too Hard had won well and would improve.
“It’s great to crack a feature race for (owner) Dave MacLean, who messaged me with good wishes in the early hours of this morning,” Marcus said.
“Frosted Gold has good gate speed and when I asked, he kicked. He was looking for company late and based on that he has improvement to come.”
de Kock said that Frosted Gold would possibly go for the Gr.1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion (1200m) at Scottsville at the end of the month, but that he will stay at home if there is a track bias.
“He wants to be ridden quieter, he likes to run at them. He’s still a green horse,” de Kock said.
Out of the Verglas mare Mary D'Or, JML Bloodstock sold a Tavistock half-brother to Frosted Gold at the recent New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales through Blandford Bloodstock, the Matamata-based breeding operation owned in conjunction with the Bax family.
The Tavistock colt fetched a bid of $50,000 to the bid of Ohukia Lodge and will likely be re-offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale later this year.