Iffraaj colt The Soultaker (NZ) dug deep to get up and win Saturday's $70,000 Group III Manuka Doctor Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie despite heavy track conditions.
Ridden by Mark Du Plessis for Ruakaka trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs, The Soultaker ran down fellow Karaka graduate Hello M'Lady (NZ) (Shocking) in the straight and won by a length and a quarter. Mongolianlightning (NZ) (Bullbars) completed a trifecta for Karaka graduates with his third placing.
"He was struggling at the 600, but he got up to win," Gibbs said. "It's an amazing performance. Mark rode him brilliantly, kept working on him, and he just stamped his class.
"When I saw how the trouble he was having in the ground, I thought that if he got up to win the race he'd be an exceptional horse. He's got that bit of class and he showed it today."
Out of the Reset mare Miranda Miss (NZ), The Soultaker was bred by George and Maryanne Simon. He was offered by Seaton Park at the 2015 Select Sale, where Logan secured him for $50,000. Logan owns a share, with the Simons buying back into the ownership along with GD Lemon, I Pearson and DKT Tay.
The Soultaker has now had seven starts for two wins and three placings. Both victories have come at stakes level, with Saturday's win preceded by a Listed victory in last year's Murdoch Newell Stakes (1100m). He also finished second behind the Group 1 winner Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock) in the Listed Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) earlier this month.
The Soultaker has now earned $99,490 in prize-money.
| Vendor | Seaton Park Ltd |
| Purchaser | DM Logan Racing Stables (Ruakaka) |
| Breeding | Iffraaj – Miranda Miss |
| Sale | Lot 536, 2015 Select Sale, $50,000 |
