Veyron too good

28th Nov 2011

“Too big, too strong, too good,” that was the very apt description of Veyron’s win in the Group Three Eagle Technology Stakes, by top northern racing commentator George Simon.

The six-year-old son of Thorn Park (Spinning World) winning his ninth race, dished out a decent galloping lesson to his rivals in the 1600 metre event winning by half a length going away, with a short head separating Sadist (Tale of the Cat) from the original pacemaker Floria (NZ) (Savabeel). 

Floria (NZ) dominated the pace from the jump with Sadist in the trail, and Veyron (NZ) was happy to sit three wide just off the pace waiting to pounce. With about 400 metres to go he forged to the front effortlessly showing no effects of the 58 kgs he was carrying as compared to Floria’s 53 kgs.

According to his rider Rogan Norvall knowing the acceleration the horse has he was happy to sit three wide off the leaders.

“I knew I had the advantage of the huge acceleration this horse has, and by sitting three wide I knew I could keep the other runners at bay and stop anything coming up inside of me.  He is a wonderful horse I have a picture of him on every wall of my house,” he mused.

Veyron (NZ) is trained in Cambridge by Linda Laing who said after the race that she wished they had races at Ellerslie every weekend, after the horse had scored his seventh win on that track including the Group One Landmine Easter Handicap last April.  His other two wins were at Te Aroha.

“I'll take him home today and give him at least a week off, then I will have to make some hard decisions about where we will run. I’ll either run him in the weight-for-age Higgins Classic over 1400 metres at Manawatu or the Railway,” she said.

When quizzed about dropping him back to 1200 metres at group one level, she quietly replied that she was sure he that he would not only cope but be competitive. 

“He only needs rain on the day to be right there.”

Three of Veyron’s wins at Ellerslie have been over 1200 metres, and all of them when racing in a fresh state.

Veyron (NZ) is raced by his breeders Isabel and Alistaire Barker, who farm sheep, beef and dairy cows at a large holding just out of Te Awamutu, and have a long association with Linda Laing and her father Royce Dowling. The first horse they trained for the couple was Soldier Blue (NZ) (Sir Sian) who won eight races including the New Zealand Cup.

Veyron (NZ) is out of Over The Limit (NZ) a Centro mare out of the Brisbane Cup winning mare Limitless (NZ) (Sir Tristram), who also left the stakes winners Twinkling (NZ) (Star Way) and Zero Limit (NZ) (Star Way).

Several years ago Doug Ancell of Limitless (NZ) fame was the regular stock buyer for the Barkers and one day while drafting cattle at their farm Isabel made a tongue in cheek comment to him that she wouldn’t mind having one of his race mares.  Sometime later he offered to sell her Over The Limit (NZ) and the rest they say is history! Ancell had earlier introduced the Barkers to the Dowling/Laing partnership.