Almanzor’s son on target for Aotearoa Classic

The pressure was on Holymanz to produce a quality performance at Geelong to warrant a trip home later this month and our son of Almanzor produced an emphatic response.The four-year-old comfortably claimed the thick end of the A$300,000 stake in the Coastal Classic to set up a crack at the inaugural running of the $1 million Aotearoa Classic over 1600 metres at Ellerslie on January 27.The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Holymanz lobbed along in fifth spot before peeling wide at the top of the straight and was too good for his rivals in the run to the post.“He got into an okay spot and to the horse’s credit he finished the race off very well,” stable representative Jack Turnbull said.“He’s progressive and it’s fantastic to see him back in winning form as a lead into the Karaka race.”Holymanz was ridden by expatriate Kiwi jockey Michael Dee, who said he enjoyed a good run and was confident of victory a fair way out.“I was very happy to be one off the fence, he feels better when he gets plenty of room, and he tugged me into it and made easy work of it.”Holymanz has now won four of his 12 starts with his three placings including a runner-up finish in the G3 CS Hayes Stakes.We purchased the chestnut for A$400,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in conjunction with our good friend Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d’Etreham, home to the Almanzor in the Northern Hemisphere.Holymanz was offered by Lime Country Thoroughbreds on behalf of breeder Jamieson Park and is out of the winning Dubawi mare Perfect Offering, who is a half-sister to the stakes winner and Group performer My Country.