Westbury Classic’s international flavour a Karaka Millions bonus
Dennis Ryan - Raceform • January 23rd, 2025 6:00 PM
While overshadowed to some degree by the seven-figure TAB Karaka Millions 2YO and 3YO and Aotearoa Classic and the $700,000 Gr. 1 Sistema Railway, the Gr. 2 Westbury Classic stands alone on Saturday’s Ellerslie card on the score of international content.
Three members of the $600,000 fillies and mares’ feature bring quality Australian form to the contest. The most familiar is dual New Zealand Group One winner Belclare’s brace of Group Two wins for Bjorn Baker in late spring in Sydney, while Gr. 1 Tarzino Trophy winner Skew Wiff added a Group Three win at Flemington on the same card as the 2023 Melbourne Cup.
Perhaps less familiar to local racing followers is the Chris Waller-trained Konasana, who landed in Auckland earlier this week as the last-start winner of the Gr. 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes at Wyong on New Year’s Eve.
All told the daughter of former champion Kiwi galloper Dundeel and the US-bred mare Posing has won five of her 16 starts, which also includes the Gr. 3 James Carr Stakes on the final day of the Sydney autumn carnival last April.
Reports are that the four-year-old has settled in well at Lance Noble’s Lindsay Racing base at Karaka ahead of becoming just the second Ellerslie starter for Waller since he moved to Sydney more than 20 years ago.
Konasana will be ridden on Saturday by Rory Hutchings, who has a perfect one-from-one record on her and has ridden eight winners from 40 starts during his extended summer stayover in New Zealand.
Amongst those looking forward to Konasana’s weekend mission is Debbie Kepitis, best-known as a part-owner of champion racemare Winx and the principal of Woppitt Bloodstock, whose purple and white colours the mare will carry in the Westbury Classic.
“I always enjoy coming over to New Zealand at this time of year,” the daughter of Ingham Racing co-founder Bob Ingham said when RaceForm made contact with her in Sydney earlier this week.
“Normally when we’re over, the yearling sales at Karaka are the main focus and we’ll be there again, but we’re looking forward to having a runner at Ellerslie as well.
“Obviously Chris thinks she’s worth sending over for what looks like a nice race, so we’ll see if she can bring her best form with her.”
Belclare, now back with her original trainer Lisa Latta after a brief but immensely rewarding campaign with Bjorn Baker, won last year’s Westbury Classic and makes her return with the benefit of a close second in a 1000m trial at Foxton last Tuesday.
With placings in each of her four starts this season – the most recent fourth in the Gr. 1 Telegraph earlier this month – Skew Wiff also has excellent form credentials. As co-trainer Mark Walker points out, however, the key is a draw that will allow her to position close to the pace and pounce at an opportune time.
“She’s a mare with a short, sharp sprint and if she has the right draw to get an economical run and be able to take a late shot at them, she’s right in it,” Walker said.
“That was a good run in the Telegraph and her work since has been right up to her best, so here’s hoping.”
Picture at the Top of the Page: Chris Waller-trained Konasana lines up in Saturday’s Westbury Classic off the back of her Belle of the Turf Stakes win on New Year’s Eve. Photo: Supplied
