Tarzino Trophy Countdown: Number 5 - Seachange 2006 & 2007

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.

If someone told you that a bad-legged foal that wasn’t broken in until she was a 2yo would turn out to be one of New Zealand’s very, very best modern-day racehorses capable of running devastating sectionals on firm tracks…..you’d politely tell them to perhaps seek professional advice!

Defying early physical composition, Seachange turned out to be just that horse described above. And plenty more.

It was a delicate approach that would eventually guide her to the racetrack, but she had superb breeding on her side to help her along the way.

Her father was the brilliant British stallion Cape Cross, already famous for producing outstanding horses such as Ouija Board - a seven-time Group 1 winning mare who was twice a Champion European Horse of the Year. Racing in the same era as Seachange on the other side of the globe, he was responsible for siring the brilliant Sea The Stars - a horse who if you look at in any detail, you’ll find he was amongst the best to ever grace a racetrack. Later on he would produce Golden Horn, an outstanding galloper who would boast an English Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe amongst his four Group 1 victories.

On the maternal side was Broad Reach mare Just Cruising, a full sister to the successful stallion Yachtie. In a shrewd piece of purchasing, Dick Karreman Bloodstock and his New Zealand based The Oaks Stud operation would pick her up at the 1998 William Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale for $47,000. She would produce six foals to race, they were all winners and aside of course from Seachange she would also produce Group 1 winner Keepa Cruisin.

Under the watchful eye of trainer Ralph Manning, the the 3yo filly would first be sighted in the white colours with the blue band and cap on raceday with an eye catching victory in a maiden event at Paeroa. She would follow that up with two more stylish victories, before being deemed ready for a tilt at the top level.

It was her maiden Group 1 success at her fourth start in the 1000 Guineas (1600m) of 2005 that would announce to the public that this Oaks Stud bred and raced thoroughbred was the real deal.

She would be let down after that for a brief break before coming back at Woodville in January of the following year, where she comfortably saw off subsequent New Zealand Derby winner Wahid in a canter.

A decent spell was in order, before she was to come back to aim up at some lofty targets in her 4yo season.

Returning in July, she was victorious at Te Rapa before returning to the same course again three weeks later, tasting defeat for the first time when running 3rd in the Foxbridge Plate (Listed, 1200m).

With the lead up runs completed, it was time to turn her attention to the serious targets at the elite level and the 2006 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes was the first on the list.

She was installed a $5.40 second favourite behind a fierce rival. He was the $1million yearling Darci Brahma, the Te Akau colt already a three-time Group 1 winning galloper with top level victories on both sides of the Tasman. This was to be the first instalment in one of the great rivalries of the New Zealand turf.

The threats didn’t end there, Kristov was a dual Group 1 winning performer and Calveen had a string of black type form behind him both here and in Australia. Throw in the Derby and Oaks winners Wahid and Legs respectively, and this race would have to be won by a very good horse.

Jumping cleanly from barrier four, jockey and great companion Gavin McKeon had the mare leading in the first half of the race. The field was full of runners that enjoyed being handy and one of those in Kristov would take over.

With the leader crossing to the rail, Fiscal Madness and Sir Slick drawing to the outside and the hot-pot Darci Brahma stalking her every move from behind, facing threats from all angles McKeon would have to hold his nerve.

As the runners fanned wide at the top of the stretch, there was clear air in front of her to win if she was in for the fight.

Drawing level with the hardened Kristov, she was able to display what she had done throughout her career - a lethal turn of foot.

In a brilliant performance, it was victory in the Mudgway, by a length to her fast finishing rival.

For some there were unanswered questions in the story of Seachange vs Darci Brahma, with the latter hitting traffic in the Mudgway. But in the next leg of the triple crown, the Stoney Bridge Stakes (Group 1, 1600m), those questions for the moment were put to bed as the mare out-toughed the colt on even terms in arguably the best ever battle on a New Zealand racetrack.

Manning always enjoyed taking the mare to The Bay:

“The trip down to Hastings was always a great benefit to her, we always went the day before and it would bring her on nicely. 2006 she was in stella form, her win in the Tarzino was outstanding while her win in the 2nd leg over a mile was one of her very best”

From there came a 3rd placing in the Kelt Captial Stakes (Group 1, 2040m), a very game effort in a race beyond her preferred distance.

A jaunt across the Tasman was decided upon in an effort to capitalise on the softer November ground. A brave 2nd was achieved in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) before a below-par effort in The Emirates (Group 1, 1600m).

It was back down to 1200m for her next New Zealand assignment in the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. The two great rivals met for the third time, this time the runner in the Tangerine prevailed in another great battle.

 “It is testament to how good of a horse Darci Brahma was that he could match motors with her on so many occasions, as she was so, so good!” says Manning

With unfinished business in Australia, the team embarked upon a three start mission in Victoria. This exercise netted victory in the Group 3 Mannersim Stakes (1400m) and another gallant runner up finish in The Futurity (Group 1, 1600m).

After another spell in the paddock over the colder months, a bid to become the first back-to-back winner of the Mudgway Partsworld Stakes was the aim.

After two lead up runs, yielding a win and a close up 5th in the Foxbridge Plate, the stage was set for the mare to create a piece of history.

With Darci Brahma now on a different path, on paper this looked easier. At $2.10 in the market, she was the only runner in single figures.

But as everyone knows, Group 1’s are rarely given away and she’d still have to dispatch some real quality. The outstanding Princess Coup was lining up, although the feeling was this was below her best trip. There was a stack of black type credential in the form of Cog Hill, Jokers Wild, J’Dane, The Pooka and Kay’s Awake. You’d struggle to find a more hardened campaigner than ‘The People’s Champion’ Sir Slick, who had proven time again his menacing quality off the front.

Jumping and landing just off the speed, McKeon rode the champion mare like the best horse in the race.

He commenced his run three-wide around the turn and when they balanced up for the run home, there was only ever going to be one outcome as she pulled out that signature finishing burst to glide to an easy victory.

We are often quick to lament the quality of the field, forgetting about the quality of the winner. This performance in a race at the highest level showed just how brilliantly dominant Seachange was.

Far from finished at this stage of her career, this supremely talented animal would go on to notch a seond straight Stoney Bridge stakes, giving her a year-on-year double in the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

She’d then finish fourth in that desperately close finish to the Kelt Capital Stakes of that year, where the margins back to fourth were a 1/2 head, a nose, a nose! This performance made doubly impressive as it was proven the mile-and-a-quarter was well above her preferred trip.

Paddock rest beckoned after her runner-up placing in the Captain Cook Stakes (Group 1, 1600m) and when she returned to the racetrack she put in her most devastating performance. This was a 5 1/2 length victory carrying 58.5kg in the 2008 Telegraph Handicap (Group 1, 1200m), where she clocked a time that was just 0.16 seconds outside the world record for the distance.

When she recorded her seventh elite level victory in the Waikato Draught Sprint (Group 1, 1400m) the following month, she would set the record for the most Group 1 victories by any horse in New Zealand.

With nothing left to prove on New Zealand shores, she dusted off the passport and headed on an international campaign. Without success, but competing admirably, she raced twice in Dubai and twice in England amongst horses at the top of the world game.

Her outing on the famous Nemarket racecourse in England in the Famouth Stakes (Group 1, 1600m) was to be her last and the decision was taken by connections to retire their champion.

Her record stood at 28 starts, for 14 victories (seven at Group 1) and earnings of $1.75million. Her titles of New Zealand Champion Sprinter of the Year in 2007/08 and New Zealand Champion Horse of the Year in 2006/07 & 2007/08 meant that she would finish as one of the best her home country had ever seen.

Her Cambridge conditioner sheds some light on her personality:

“Just the dream race horse, eat, sleep and work, she was incredibly straight forward like that. She was a mare that always carried a lot of condition and the hardest thing was to getting her to work hard enough, she could run 34’s in trackwork and it looked effortless. At her peak we would send a horse out at the 600m and have her pick it up from the 1000m that was the only way to really extend her in work.”

After returning home and having to undergo successful emergency surgery for colic, her broodmare career got underway when she was served by the great Zabeel.

In a great story to accompany the battles they had on the racetrack, Darci Brahma would stand at The Oaks Stud and together they have produced three foals.

Also being put to Fastnet Rock and Tavistock, overall she has produced five foals to race with four being winners. The most successful of these being her second foal Divan (by Zabeel) who was a three time winner and multiple black type placegetter.

A true champion of the New Zealand racing scene, who lit up the turf on so many occasions.

Our Number 5 since the turn of the millennium is Seachange!