Cooga Doon (NZ) Dominates Wanganui Guineas

Cooga Doon (NZ) (Makfi), who could have been bought for $50,000 in Book 1 of Karaka 2018, became a black-type winner with a dominant performance at Wanganui on Saturday.

A seven-length winner of his only previous start, Cooga Doon stepped up to take on stakes company in the $50,000 Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1340m) and was even more impressive.

Ridden by Lisa Allpress, Cooga Doon was awkwardly positioned in the early part of the race before sliding forward to lead with 800 metres to go. He changed gears in the straight and ran away from his outclassed opposition.

“It’s a privilege to have these types of horses,” trainer Fraser Auret said. “It didn’t quite go to script, but he just has plenty of gears, doesn’t he?

“His mum was a stakes winner over a mile and a half, so the world really is his oyster.

“To my eye he was more dominant today on a slightly better track than his last one. We will take a line through that and kick on for sure.

“The Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) is on the radar, but we will have a meeting with his owners and go from there.”

Cooga Doon is out of Monachee (NZ) (O’Reilly), who won seven races including the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m). Her sister Ciara (NZ) (O’Reilly) was a multiple Group 2 placegetter in the Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and Gasmate Stakes (1600m).

Cooga Doon was bred by the P V & P G Mullin Trust and was offered by Woburn Farm at Karaka 2018 with a $50,000 reserve, but was passed in.

Now raced by Gavin O’Dea and his wife Jill, Cooga Doon’s two starts to date have produced two wins and $37,500 in prize-money.