Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
El Vencedor, (Shocking) or the big EV as he is becoming affectionately known, continued his career-best form with another superb victory at Ellerslie in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sport Nation Otaki-Māori WFA Classic (1600m).
The gelded son of Shocking sat three back off the pace set by Belclare and looked to be travelling like a winner throughout for rider Wiremu Pinn.
Given his head rounding the home bend, the Stephen Marsh-trained runner charged to the front at the 200m and never looked like being denied as he went to the line powerfully to head Qali Al Farrasha with Orchestral making up good ground in the straight to finish an eye-catching third.
Once considered by Marsh as a sprinting type only, El Vencedor has come into his own in the last two seasons with Marsh and owners Mark Freeman and David Price enjoying the ride of their life as he has taken his record to eleven wins from 40 starts, including three at Group One level in his last nine runs.
Marsh couldn’t contain his smiles as he described just what the horse has done for his Cambridge stable.
“I said to Wiremu to ride him where he is happy, get him into a rhythm and ride him like the best horse,” Marsh said.
“I thought he rode him perfectly as he started to get him to travel coming to the top of the straight. He just keeps raising the bar and he is just a phenomenal horse.
“I’m happy for Wiremu as he has been doing a lot of work for us around the stable and this meant a lot to him and to us as well.”
Marsh indicated that his charge would return to Ellerslie in a fortnight to tackle the Gr.1 Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m), a race he won in 2024, before preparing for a trip to Hong Kong to contest the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin in April.
“It is the Bonecrusher in two weeks’ time and then get the passport ready for Hong Kong,” he said. “We definitely want to get him to the Bonecrusher in tip-top condition.
“You just can’t dent him at the moment, so that’s why we came here before the Bonecrusher.
“He is becoming the people’s horse as the big EV, and we just love that. He is a stable favourite and it may have just been another day at the office for him.”
Pinn was thrilled to claim his second Group One win in the saddle and was quick to thank Marsh and the owners for trusting him with the ride.
“This means a lot as I have been battling a bit in the last three weeks without much luck,” he said. “I’m just so grateful to Stephen, Mr Freeman and Mr Price for having me on the horse.
“Anyone could have won on him today. He is such a good horse and makes me look good.
“He didn’t have that much early speed today, so I let Qali Al Farrasha cross me as I knew she would get me to the point I needed to get to before peeling off her back and letting him go.
“Once he saw clear air he was very electric and will be very hard to beat in the Bonecrusher.”
Bred and raced by Freeman and Price, El Vencedor has now had 40 starts for 11 wins, 14 placings and more than $1.529 million in prizemoney.
