Karaka graduate Captain Pluto (NZ) (Savabeel) collected the second black-type success of his career with a big finish to take out the A$125,000 Listed Luckygray Stakes (1800m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Captain Pluto was offered by Rich Hill Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where he failed to meet his $150,000 reserve. He has now had 29 starts for seven wins, 11 placings and A$447,755 in stakes.
Previously the winner of the Listed Bunbury Cup (2019m) in March, Captain Pluto had shown promising signs in the early stages of his six-year-old season with an eye-catching resuming run for sixth over 1400 metres before finishing strongly into third in the Listed Northam Cup (1600m) on October 26.
Captain Pluto was sent out as a $2 favourite for his third-up run on Saturday and duly delivered in the hands of jockey William Pike. He settled in midfield until the home turn, when Pike switched across heels to stake his claim out wide. Captain Pluto produced a powerful finish down the outside of the track and won impressively by a length.
“He’s returned really nicely in this preparation,” co-trainer Grant Williams said. “He put the writing on the wall with his first two starts this time in. I thought he went super first-up, and then he was good again in the Northam Cup last time.
“I was a little bit worried today after seeing how the track was playing, but it was good to see him get up.
“He’s really starting to mature now, mentally as well as physically. He was a bit of a hard horse to handle last time in and is a lot easier now. He’s really developed into a beautiful-looking horse as well.
“We thought at the start of the preparation that he was probably our leading chance for the Perth Cup (Group Two, 2400m), and it seems like that’s the way he’s heading.”
Captain Pluto is the best of three winners from Miss Bernardini, a half-sister to Group winners Prince of War and Perana as well as stakes-winner Prince Arthur. Third dam of Captain Pluto is blue hen Princess Tracy, so this is the family of Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy and seven time G1 winner Alligator Blood.
