04 August 2008
For the second consecutive year, a son of Align has achieved the highest rating for a male two-year-old on the New Zealand Free Handicaps.
The 2007/08 Free Handicaps were released on Friday by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.
Murray Baker-trained Fully Fledged (Align x Fledged ) has been allocated 57.5kg – only half-a-kilogram less than the top-rated filly, Il Quello Veloce, who was rated at 58kg.
Fully Fledged made six appearances in his juvenile campaign – winning twice and weighing in on five occasions. The highlight of his first season of racing came when he recorded an outstanding win in the Group 1 Ford Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on March 8 where he defeated Raid (second and Il Quello Veloce (third).
He was also fifth in the Group 1 Ford Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) when encountering an unfavourable shifty track in the middle of a 100-year drought. And he had the Group 2 Ford Wakefield Challenge Stakes at his mercy after racing three lengths clear in the home straight but then spoilt his chances altogether by jumping the running rail.
Brent Gillovic, of Highview Stud which stands Align, commented: “While it is pleasing that he is the top-weighted colt you could be forgiven for being a little disappointed for the stallion’s sake that he wasn’t champion two-year-old following in the footsteps of Nightlign the previous year. His antics in the Wakefield Stakes and then copping that track at Awapuni certainly cost him dearly as far as two-year-old honours are concerned. Nonetheless we are still looking forward to following his fortunes as a three-year-old this season.”
Baker said Fully Fledged is making very good progress in his new campaign which will include a tilt at the Group 1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November. Before that he will tackle the Hawke’s Bay Guineas at Hastings next month.
Baker said Fully Fledged didn’t help himself in some of his 2yo races because of his wayward behaviour.
“He’s basically a quiet horse at home so it surprised me when he did a few things wrong on race-day. I believe this will come right with race-day experience,” Baker said.
Last year Nightlign (Align x Indian Squaw) was the highest-rated two-year-old overall with a rating of 58kg.
Align, trained by Keith and Brendon Hawtin, won the Group 1 Ford Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes. He won brilliantly first-up at class 1 level in Hong Kong in March and then finished third in Group 3 company in Hong Kong.
The deeds of Nightlign and Fully Fledged have seen Align as the only sire in Australasia to sire consecutive 2yo Group 1 winners over the past two seasons.
