Wanganui stayer Just Charlie (NZ) (Zed) sounded a stern warning to his rivals for the upcoming Gr.3 Martin Collins 162nd New Zealand Cup (3200m) with an all the way romp in Sunday’s Steelform Roofing Group Waverley Cup (2200m).
Prepared by Kevin Myers, Just Charlie had a luckless preparation leading into the Waverley feature, covering extra ground and being held up badly on two occasions, particularly last time out when favourite in similar contest at Trentham in mid-September.
A month later, he stripped a fit horse and came out running in the hands of George Rooke, who sat outside the leader early before rolling to the top. Rooke was able to dictate terms along the back straight, and on the home turn, Just Charlie was still striding out boldly and was going to take some beating.
He gave a good kick at the 200m and only got better the further he went, powering through the line ahead of local gallopers Comedy and Sandoku, who acquitted herself well in open company for the first time.
The six-year-old gelding maintained his unbeaten record at the venue going three-from-three, and Rooke said he felt the winner a long way from home.
“I didn’t really have any instructions but he jumped quite well, we weren’t going very hard early and he relaxed well in front,” he said. “He kept at a nice even gallop and he’s a proper stayer, he just lengthened and hit the line very nicely today.
“That horse (Jack In The Box) joined me between the 800 and 600 and he came alive underneath me, so I knew I had a lot of horse and it would take a good one to beat him. I didn’t realise they were all off the bit as much as they were coming into the straight, he had them covered a long way out.
“That was my first ride for Kevin so it was great to get it off to a winning one, I’m delighted really I couldn’t have asked for a better day, with two rides and one winner.”
A son of Zed out of the Danasinga mare Goody Two Shoes, Just Charlie was bred by his owners Mike and Roz Southey, who co-bred and part-owned a former star of the Myers stable in Zed Em. In 22 starts, he has won five and placed in a further six races, earning just shy of $160,000.
Off the back of his Waverley success, Just Charlie has shortened into $9 in the market for the New Zealand Cup, which will be run at Riccarton Park on the 15th of November.
“The New Zealand Cup is his main aim and I think the further he goes, the better he’ll get,” Rooke said.
Just Charlie is no stranger to success at the southern venue, having won the Road To The Jericho (3000m) twelve months ago before finishing fourth in the Cup, won by Mehzebeen. Myers has won three editions of the time-honoured two mile event, including two in the last four years with Aljay and Mondorani.