Etna Rosso flies flag for Go Racing and Boman
Enta Rosso’s brave win the Gr.3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) exemplifies a precise global strategy that is proving fruitful for New Zealand-based syndication company Go Racing.
Go Racing purchased the now five-year-old gelding privately from the United Kingdom in partnership with Blandford Bloodstock agent Stuart Boman, who has been instrumental in their recent success.
“Stuart has been a really big help to us over the last few years,” Go Racing’s Matt Allnutt said. “He’s a very good bloodstock agent and a really good guy who we’ve been lucky to partner with and our association with him has really strengthened Go Racing and added another string to our bow.”
With the help of Boman, Go Racing have been purchasing young horses in the UK, racing them there for their two and three-year-old seasons, from the stable of Joseph O’Brien, before transferring them to Australia as older horses.
“That has been the plan of attack,” Allnutt said. “We try to get black type with them up there as young horses and then bring them down to Australia for the really good prize money.
Etna Rosso was successful on debut in Ireland as a three-year-old, stakes placed at his second start, hethen finished fifth in the Gr.2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot giving his New Zealand-based ownership group a once in a lifetime experience before picking up a fourth in Listed company. He kicked off his Australian campaign in February of this year and Thursday’s win was his third down under.
Jumping from barrier five with Kerrin McEvoy onboard on Friday, Enta Rosso was quick to settle at the back of the field, he was last on the turn before he powered home to win comfortably despite being headed by second placed Wyclif.
“It was just a good tough staying run,” Allnutt said. “You could see that he got clearly headed in the straight, but he rallied, fought back and was quite comfortable on the line, so it was a good run from him.
Enta Rosso may well become the poster boy for this strategy with his dominant win on Friday confirming Group One targets for him this season.
“Yesterday’s win automatically qualifies him for A$750,000 The Metropolitan (Gr.1, 2400m) on October 5 and then all going to plan he’ll go to the A$5 million Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m) and then on to the A$5.56 million Melbourne Cup,” Allnutt said.
“He looks to be a really talented stayer, and he has an exciting season ahead of him. He’s still young but he’s showing what a good horse he is already. We can’t thank Stuart enough for helping us to source him.”
The Metropolitan is a race champion trainer Chris Waller knows how to win, having already won it on five occasions, most recently with No Compromise in 2022.
The Go Racing team and Boman will be going back to the well next month, to source their next globe-trotting stayers from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, to register your interest email matt@goracing.co.nz or phone 0508 GORACING.
Photo: Etna Rosso winning the Newcastle Cup, Bradley photos.