Last season’s leading N.Z first-season sire by individual winners and stakes winners, Per Incanto, has started the new season strongly.
Bob of the Head (Per Incanto-Can’t Keeper Down by Keeper) achieved the breakthrough Australian win for the stallion, taking a 1000m event at Mornington last Thursday. He’d been relegated from first at his previous start, the promoted winner being the highly touted Sovereign Nation. With Bob of the Heads, dam an Oaks runner-up, he looks a promising type for trainer John McArdle.
Then on Saturday at Ruakaka, in the second two-year-old race of the season, the McKee and Chippendale trained debutant Tennessee (Per Incanto-Bella Carolina by O’Reilly) showed a lot of speed to lead all the way. With a margin of six lengths to the third horse, and going by the amount of totalisator support for the runner-up, also on debut, the race looks like being a strong form race. It was also pleasing to hear Stephen McKee say post-race that his filly has a lot of scope.
The Per Incanto three-year-old colts, Dal Cielo and Rocanto made their seasonal reappearance in the Tavistock Northland Breeders Guineas at Ruakaka. Rocanto looked slightly unlucky in finishing a close third, just in front of Dal Cielo. It was a pleasing return for both colts with the likes of the Hawkes Bay and 2000 Guineas ahead.
