Aegon Creates History with 3YO Classic Triumph

With a thrilling victory at Ellerslie on Saturday, star 3YO Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) became the first horse in history to win both the Gr1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). Aegon was a $150,000 purchase from Waikato Stud’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2019 by Andrew Forsman, who shares ownership with the Zame Partnership. Forsman also trains in partnership with Murray Baker at Cambridge. According to nzb.co.nz, Aegon has now won all of his four starts and $859,900 in stakes. This was a remarkable training performance by Baker and Forsman, with Aegon not having raced since his 2000 Guineas victory at Riccarton on November 7. He had an exhibition gallop at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day and also won a trial at Matamata on January 12. Hype and anticipation had been building steadily throughout the weeks leading into Saturday’s big race, which was billed as an epic two-horse clash between Aegon and fellow Waikato Stud Karaka graduate Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel). Bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $300,000, Amarelinha had produced an exceptional performance to win the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The mouth-watering match-up did not disappoint. To the roars of the crowd, Aegon and Amarelinha sprinted to the lead side by side in the straight and raced clear to fight out a desperate battle to the finish. The win continued the Baker-Forsman stable’s outstanding record with the Zame Partnership, who also raced the Australian Derby (2400m) winner Jon Snow (NZ) (Iffraaj), who was a $65,000 purchase at Karaka in 2015. The Karaka Million 3YO Classic was Aegon’s third black-type win in his four-start career, having also won the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings in October.

Aegon created history at Ellerslie (pic: Trish Dunell)