Embellish 4yo makes impressive return

Embellish’s homebred son What You Wish For produced an outstanding return to racing at Taupo. In his four-year-old debut, the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained representative gave his opposition a healthy start and a sound beating at the end of 1300 metres.

“We had confidence but knew that once he gets over further, he will be better,” Te Akau Racing Manager Reece Trumper said. “He’s got an explosive turn of foot as he showed in the Waikato Guineas.”

What You Wish For flew home to finish third in last season’s Group 2 feature over 2000 metres and ended his campaign with a gallant sixth in the G1 New Zealand Derby.

“We’ll take him through the grades quietly and find some nice staying races for him in the future,” Trumper said. He went back to last from a wide gate at Taupo before apprentice Rihaan Goyoram urged him around runners 600 metres from home and the gelding let down powerfully to win going away by 1.8l.

What You Wish For was bought out of our 2022 draft to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Te Akau chief David Ellis for $60,000 and last year secured his half-sister by Savabeel, Wish Come True, for $190,000.

They are out of the Smart Missile mare Grand Wish, who is a half-sister to the G1 Galaxy Handicap winner Griante and the family of the G1 WATC Derby winner Grand Journey.

Grand Wish had a colt by Sword Of State last season and is due to foal again to Embellish.