CONTRIBUTER (5yo H.
High Chaparral ex Serisia) got his Australian career off to a flying start with an impressive
debut victory in Saturday’s $150,000
Group 3 David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
CONTRIBUTER
The first horse to be sent from
Godolphin in the UK to Australia to be trained by John O’Shea, the son of
High Chaparral got the new venture off to a perfect start.
Settling in a midfield position for jockey James McDonald,
Contributer loomed on the corner before displaying an impressive turn of speed to defeat fellow import Noble Protector by a length, with Signoff running-on into third a further 1.25 lengths away.
Contributer will now most likely head to the
Gr1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
First impressions are often best and rider James McDonald said after his first feel of
Contributer, the stayer could be better than last year's
Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente.
So his win in the
Gr3 David Jones Cup (2000 metres) was no real surprise to McDonald.
The
Godolphin team bought the stayer after his last start win of the Wolferton Handicap 2000m at
Royal Ascot in June.
"He just felt like an Australian horse," McDonald said. "He was strong and had that dash. Gee he is a nice horse. He actually gave me a better feel than
Fiorente when I got on him at Werribee. He shocked me.
"He
(Contributer) didn't feel like a 2000-metre horse. He felt like a miler but you saw there he is just a push-button type and when I went for him it was all over."
Fiorente could not win his first Australian start but was runner-up in Green Moon's Melbourne Cup, with McDonald in the saddle and a year later he returned to win the race that stops a nation for Damien Oliver.
Fiorente backed it up with an Australian Cup success.
Contributer has a way to go to reach those heights but he will get his chance at a
Gr1 in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on November 1.
"We have kept him fresh because there are plenty of races for him. We are still learning about him but that's a good start O'Shea said.
"We will see how he pulls up but the Mackinnon could be a good next step for him. There is always next year as well, The Championships are there."
Contributer travelled midfield and drove through to be on the back of the speed coming into the straight and sprinted clear. With McDonald riding hands and heels, t
he five-year-old High Chaparral entire scored by a length from another import, Noble Protector, which was having her first start in Australia and completed a northern-hemisphere trifecta with Signoff another 1-1/4 lengths away.
"He's got a turn of foot and I might have gone a little early but it didn't matter," McDonald said. "He just idled over the last bit but he's pretty special."
Contributer is nominated for the $6.2 million Cup and is the first horse Godolphin has bought out of Europe to race in Australia.
"We had the feeling that he was quite nice but you want to see them execute," O'Shea said.
"I think he was helped by a great McDonald ride because he was slow away and McDonald got him in a great spot and he did the rest.
"I have just been at the end of the teamwork here.
"We have just ticked him along and that was pleasing."
"James (McDonald) and I have just turned up. We tuned him up during the week and he was ready to go.”
Contributer, an ex Ed Dunlop trained horse was a private purchase by Godolphin with Australia in mind.
"We’ll let the dust settle, John Ferguson is down and we’ll talk it over, see what the team thinks and see how the horse pulls up. He’s got plenty of upside, that’s for sure," he said.
A five-year-old son of High Chaparral, Contributer has won five of his 10 races, three of them at stakes level, with two seconds and one third.
Contributer is a stayer to be followed very closely.
HIGH CHAPARRAL
The HIGH CHAPARRAL breed are Australia’s Premier Source of Classics Quality blood and he is a constant source of siring the “BIG RACE” winners.
Contributer is one of 60 Stakes Winners and 92 Stakes Horses in total for High Chaparral world-wide.
It appears there is little doubt that Contributer will add a Gr1 to his resume shortly and join the 11 other Gr1 Winners already by the sire including SO YOU THINK, IT’S A DUNDEEL, SHOOT OUT, DESCARADO, MONACO CONSUL, TOROADO, etc.
Dynamic Syndications only have a few shares remaining in our exciting HIGH CHAPARRAL colt with CUPS KING Bart Cummings & James Cummings Racing Partnership.
This is the colt that is bred to be winning the BIG RACES next Spring and the Years to Come !
He is a Great Type with the HIGHEST QUALITY PEDIGREE and he is being polished by a legendary trainer who knows exactly how to get the best out of Classic Contenders.
.jpg)