Almanzor 5YO outstays Cup rivals

Almanzor’s son Trav produced a memorable performance at Ellerslie to land a knockout blow in the feature staying event on Champions’ Day.

The five-year-old came from the tail of the field to claim top honours in the G2 Auckland Cup for co-breeder, part-owner and trainer Raymond Connors.

Trav drifted well off the pace under rider Masa Hashizume before they began to pick up ground 800 metres from home and the gelding finished relentlessly in the run home to land the thick end of the $600,000 stake.

“That’s just the way he races so I expected him to be well back there and he came on well,” Connors said.

“It’s amazing and just awesome to be part of such a big day. This was our goal so it’s great to achieve it.”

Trav had drawn serious attention to his prospects with his lead-up fourth in the G3 Wellington Cup at Trentham where he had missed the start by 20 lengths.

“He’s not the easiest horse to train, so it’s been a bit of an effort as he can be tricky at times,” Connors said.

Hashizume said while Trav had got well back in the field, he was able to get a smooth run into contention.

“He got a good drag into it and he ran through the line and even afterwards he was hard to pull up. He’s a tough horse and all credit to the horse and trainer.”

Trav is a son of the winning Savabeel mare Royal Sav, a half-sister to the dual G3 Stewards Handicap winner Prince Oz.

It is a family that Connors has an intimate knowledge of and includes his G2 Wellington Cup winner Blood Brotha, who also claimed two G3 New Zealand Cups, and his G3 Manawatu Classic winner and G1 New Zealand Derby placegetter King Johny.

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