The Second Coming
One of the feature races this weekend in New Zealand is The Second Coming (G2) which is held over a mile and a quarter on the turf and will be open to three-year-olds and up. Offering a total purse of $375,000 the race has attracted a total of ten horses for this year’s race. Let’s take a look through the contenders.
- Dubawi’s Park (ENG) – harrylan14 – S. Barton – 9/1
Lightly raced with just fourteen career starts, the five-year-old horse is by Dubawi (IRE), as his name suggests, and is out of a listed stakes winning dam. His most recent start was in early December of last year during the King Kong Cup (G1) at a mile and a quarter in Hong Kong. Off the pace in tenth at the start, the horse looked like he might make a bid midway through the race but would fall back again to cross the wire in tenth, setting a speed figure of one hundred seven. His most recent win came in his prior start. This start came in the Allison Stakes (G3) here in New Zealand over the same distance. Closer to the pace in fifth, he would start to challenge other runners early in the race and would ultimately win the contest by two lengths.
2. Gambling Addiction – worldclass15 – P. Kerswell – 9/1
Returning to group company with this start, the six-year-old son of Tapit most recently started here in New Zealand in December of last year during an allowance race over ten furlongs. Stalking from second out of the gate, the light gray horse didn’t challenge the front runner until the pair reached the stretch. The light grey would take over the pace, going on to win the race by one and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred fifteen. His most recent group start came in July of last year during the Wikipedigree.org Challenge (G3) over the same mile and a quarter distance, this time in South Korea on the dirt with a track rated as good. Farther off the pace in seventh out of the gate, the horse would cross the wire in eighth.
3. Snitz Territories (GB) – cocobella11 – T. Fox – 6/1
Making his thirtieth career start this weekend, the six-year-old gelding is sired by Territories (IRE) and is out of an allowance winning dam. The bay gelding most recently started in the Mr Met Cap (G1) in South Africa at a mile and a quarter. Breaking from the gate and settling into eighth, the gelding made a late run down the stretch but would only manage to cross the wire in sixth while setting a speed figure of one hundred ten. His most recent win came in December of last year during the King Kong Cup (G1) in Hong Kong over the same distance. Out of the gate in seventh, he started to press the pace midway through the race and would evenly surge forward in the final furlongs to win by just three-quarters of a length.
4. Royal Shadow (IRE) – masterm05 – R. Dowell – 5/1
The oldest horse in the field at seven-years-old, the bay horse has made twenty-seven career starts and is out of the Grade III winning dam Fallen Shadows. This is the dam’s only offspring to date. The most recent start for the horse was in December of last year here in New Zealand during the Galaxian Stakes (G3) at a mile and a quarter. Breaking out of the gate into seventh, the horse was asked to challenge midway through the race and he would respond getting up into fourth but was unable to dig in further at the stretch. He would set a speed figure of one hundred and thirteen for the race. His most recent win would come in July of last year in Germany during The Bayside Triumph (G2) over the same distance. Stalking the pace from third, he would start to make his move midway through the race but wouldn’t take the front until the field entered the stretch where he would go to win by three lengths.
5. Baeed To The Bone (GB) – unionave – P. Chamberlain – 5/1
The Local Champion who eventually became a Grade III winner is going to try to win the next step up in graded racing with his start this Saturday. The scratch bred son of Baeed won his most recent start which came here in New Zealand in late January during the National Stakes (G3) at a mile and one-quarter. Breaking from the gate and settling into fourth early, the five-year-old bay horse was urged to challenge midway through the race. He would take over the lead coming into the stretch and go on to win convincingly by five and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred eighteen in what would be a lifetime best speed figure for the horse. He has started in just one other graded start of his career which would come as the final race of his four-year-old season. He would fade to third at the wire in the Euro Champion Final (G1) over the same distance after leading out of the gate.
6. Tapit Montjeu Way – dkstables27 – J. Cox – 5/1
Coming into the race off of a win, the light gray six-year-old scratch bred has made twenty-two lifetime starts. The son of top sire Tapit most recently started in January in the United States during the Marcos Footwear Handicap (G2) at a mile and quarter. Stalking the pace from second out of the gate, the horse would take control of the pace midway through the race and would eventually win the contest by two and a quarter length while settig a speed figure of one hundred sixteen. His only other graded stakes win came in the Challenge Cup (G3) over the same distance in Japan. The horse would win this race in wire to wire fashion.
7. Grita De Rua (GER) – newastinnn – J. Harzheim – 5/1
Taking a small step down in class for his first start of the new year, the six-year-old bay gelding is sired by Japan out of a stakes placed dam and has made a total of twenty-seven career starts. His most recent start came in Hong Kong last December during the King Kong Cup (G1) over a mile and a quarter. Stalking the pace early at the start from third, he would pick up the second spot early on but then would start fading midway through the race to eventually cross the wire in eighth while setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. His most recent win was in October of last year during The McKinnon (G1) in Victoria. Settling into fifth out of the gate, he would start advancing early and would take over the pace at the midway point of the race and hold on to the win by a quarter of a length.
8. Spirit Of Lyphe (IRE) – peeps1 – A. Tazdevil – 6/1
Taking a step down in class for his first start of this racing season, the six-year-old bay horse most recently started this past December during the Winter Stakes (G1) in Perth over a mile and one-eighth. Breaking out of the gate towards the rear of the field in thirteenth, the horse wouldn’t be asked to challenge until the field entered the stretch and would only close enough to cross the wire in seventh, setting a speed figure of one hundred nine. The most recent win for the horse came in February of last year during the Strange Brew Turf Handicap (G3) over the same distance in Louisiana. Once again coming from the back of the field, he would make an earlier move midway through the race and then take the lead in the stretch to win by a quarter of a length.
9. Bandit Banjo B (GB) – zbarb8 – K. Damo – 9/1
Making his twenty-fifth career start this Saturday, the five-year-old bay gelding is by Forever Now and is out of an allowance winning dam. The most recent start for the gelding came here in New Zealand during the Galaxian Stakes (G3) at a mile and a quarter in December of last year. Stalking the pace from third, he would gain some ground midway through the race but would be unable to reach the front and would finish third, setting a speed figure of one hundred fourteen. His most recent win came in July of 2024 during a listed stakes race over the same distance in the United States. Stalking the pace here as well, though this time from fourth, he would start to make his move midway through the race and would go on to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
10. Eden Killer Joe (AUS) – littleowl1 – S. Daum – 23/1
With just twelve lifetime starts, the four-year-old colt will be making his group stakes debut with his start this weekend. His most recent start came in January in Perth during a listed stakes race over a mile. Well off the pace in seventeenth out of the gate, he made an attempt to challenge other contenders in the stretch but would only get up to cross the wire in fourteenth with a speed figure of one hundred four. His prior start, also against listed company, though this time at nine furlongs in Queensland over a course rated as good, he would win coming from the back after starting to move to the front midway through the race.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Tapit Montjeu Way
Place: Baeed To The Bone (GB)
Show: Gambling Addiction