Tarzino Trophy Countdown: Number 10 - Tavistock 2009
The first Group 1 of the New Zealand racing season always brings a great deal of excitement. As we get closer to the running of the 2020 Tarzino Trophy, we are taking a look at the top 10 performances in the race since the turn of the century.
First run in 1985 when named the Challenge Stakes, all through the years this race has attracted an extremely strong field. Given it is early in the season at Weight-For-Age conditions over 1400m, horses of the highest echelon use this race as a springboard to campaigns both in New Zealand and Internationally.
Previously named the Mudgway Stakes, the Mudgway Challenge Stakes and the Makfi Challenge Stakes, the race was renamed the Tarzino Trophy in 2017. Tarzino - a former Victoria Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner - now stands at Westbury Stud.
2009 saw a dramatic edition of the race, and it was the famous colours of Andrew Campbell and Tommy Heptinstall that were to the fore with Tavistock.
Carnage was in abundance 700m from home when jockeys Michael Coleman and Darryl Bradley were dislodged from Altered Image and Maximum Star respectively. The race changed complexion at this key point and if you were behind the trouble it would be a case of overcoming adversity.
Having sat third from last in the opening half of the race, Tavistock was just beginning his run when jockey Jason Waddell was confronted with two riderless horses and a number of others taking evasion action ahead of him. He had to be restrained to avoid disaster, effectively losing momentum and having to start again.
Commencing his run four and five wide, this 4yo son of Montjeu found himself prominent when they balanced for home.
“We were pretty lucky to avoid the carnage at the 700m mark and luckily I made a move when I did. The fall happened in front of me and I had been following Hayden on Vosne Romanee, I decided to move out and around Vosne Romanee and we basically swapped positions. Rounding the turn Vosne Romanee was pushed badly off the track by the riderless horse and we were largely unaffected” says Waddell, describing his actions from the saddle.
To his left was a formidable opponent, a dual Group 1 winner with plenty of experience under his belt. He went by the name of Mufhasa, one of the very best New Zealand horses of the modern day.
The two of them were locked in a dual in the home straight, with Tavistock out muscling his better fancied rival to show tremendous fighting qualities in taking out the race.
To this day, Waddell still speaks fondly of the horse:
“The battle up the straight with Mufasha who was in his prime was epic, he was an amazing horse Tavistock and he loved it on firm ground and that day he struck a really good track”
It was one of the bigger boilover’s in the history of this event - purely because of the $40 price tag offered by the TAB - and was the first of two Group 1 victories for the colt. This was trainer Andrew Campbell’s biggest career success and ended the Group 1 drought for the highly talented Jason Waddell.
Owner Tommy Heptinstall reflects on the victory:
“I remember it like it was yesterday, Tavistock was such an amazing horse for us! I’ll never forget the day I saw Fritzy Boy gallop, both he and Tavistock were trained from the Opaki base, I remember thinking how good he looked when galloping, he just had something about him. About four months later I saw Tavistock close up in track gallop and immediately had that same feeling, he just looked that much better than everything else”
“I was in England when he had his fresh up run at Foxton before the Challenge Stakes, he ran 3rd behind Fritzy Boy. I rung Andrew (Trainer Andrew Campbell) straight away and said all he needs is better footing and to come out and around horses, as he ducked back to the inside that day. I was back in New Zealand by the time the Mudgway was run but had to watch from the couch as I’d had a knee operation, Andrew who is a genius had been saying all week how well he was working. We could not believe he was at 40-1 in the market and I was on my feet when he came to the outside and went toe to toe with Mufasha. It was one of the great days for our group”
From an early age, connections always believed in the talent Tavistock possessed. Having been a winner as a 2yo in New Zealand, prior to his Mudgway success he was transferred to the stable of champion Melbourne trainer Mick Price. The aim was a raid on the Melbourne Spring carnival as a 3yo.
A fresh up 2nd in the MRC Vain stakes (Listed, 1100m) was followed by a impressive win at Flemington in a 3yo 1400m contest and a narrow 4th in the MRC Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Group 3, 1400m). In a cruel blow, injury would see him run poorly in the Caulfield Guineas (Group 1, 1600m).
With his 3YO season effectively ended, Tavistock returned to Opaki to prepare for the NZ spring. His gutsy win in the Mudgway was backed up in the summer with a narrow defeat in the WRC Thorndon Mile (Group 1, 1600m) before claiming another win at the elite level in the Waikato Draught Sprint (Group 1, 1400m) - again beating Mufhasa.
A decision by Campbell and Heptinstall to return to Melbourne in the autumn proved a master stroke where an all important Australian win at group level was claimed in the Blamey Stakes at Flemington (Group 2, 1600m).
Retired to Cambridge Stud in 2010, his success as a sire was immediate.
His stellar first crop would see him leave Werther, a champion of Hong Kong who amassed nearly AU$11 million in prize money. This horse was bred, raced and trained by the same connections before being sold to Hong Kong interests.
Four time Group 1 winner Volkstok’n’barrell and Stakes winners Hasselhoof, Pacorus, Avisto, Longchamp, Nymph Monte, Tavy and Titanium were all products of his first racing crop.
He was no ‘one hit wonder’ as his 2nd crop was equally as impressive. Headlined by VRC and ATC Derby winners Tarzino and Tavago, as well as being ably supported by Group winners Hiflyer, Tomelilla, Gobstopper and Singapore star Infantry.
Tragically lost to the industry in 2019 his legacy looks set to continue with his only son at stud the Australian Champion 3YO colt Tarzino. Fittingly it is now a race named after his champion son.
Our Number 10 since the turn of the millennium is Tavistock!