Ego (5 B. H. E Dubai – Buckling, by Redoute’s Choice) greatly enhanced his stallion prospects by winning the $85,000, Group II, New Zealand Bloodstock Concorde Handicap over 1200-metres at Ellerslie on Saturday, and in the process gave trainer Ben Foote his best win.
Father and son owned, by Elias and Daniel Nakhle, Ego was procured for $62,000 from the draft of Bluegables Farm at the 2007 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Yearling Sale by the junior of the two, Daniel, and on Saturday at Ellerslie he took his earnings to $105,000 when recording his fifth win.
While rider Paul Taylor was required to lose a bit of sweat to make the 51.5-kilograms, it was also a requisite for Ego to produce plenty of effort after travelling along in front at a strong tempo.
As challengers loomed wider on the track, Ego continued to find plenty against the rail to beat the fast finishing Amaryllis (Red Ransom) by a neck, with one-and-three-quarter-lengths to group one winner Vonusti (Ustinov), in third.
The time for the 1200m on footing rated Good3 was 1:10.17, and Ego returned healthy odds of $13.00 & $3.70 on the NZ TAB.
We are proud to announce Group 2 winning Ego as the latest addition to the Haunui Farm stallion line up for the 2012 season.