Wymark (NZ) added his name to the growing list of Sledmere Stud Group winning graduates in the 3-year-old division of the current racing season when running out a ready winner of the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday — completing a four-timer for the son of multiple NZ champion sire Savabeel.
Bought out of the Sledmere Stud draft offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January 2022, Wymark (NZ) has a emerged as a live Group 1 Randwick Derby (2400m) chance next Saturday after breaking through for his maiden success in mid-February and stringing together a further three successes over middle-distances — the latest a coveted Group 2 contest run on the Tancred Stakes program.
Sent to post the $2.70 favourite, Wymark (NZ) scored by three-quarters of a length when doing his best work at the finish, prompting connections to pay a $44,000 late entry to fee to contest the Group 1 ATC Derby which features on Day 1 of The Championships at Randwick.
Wymark (NZ) has been the ride of Tommy Berry at his past two starts and the top-flight Sydney based jockey is becoming a major fan of the developing stayer. Following their latest victory together, Berry remarked: “I came in after his work on Tuesday and I said to Michael [Freedman], ‘this horse is oozing so much confidence’. I said ‘he won’t get beat on the weekend’. It was just that bit of work.”
The Group 2 victory of Wymark (NZ) was another hugely notable black-type success in a stellar 3-year-old season for Sledmere Stud sale graduates. The Waikato Stud-bred gelding follows the likes of Veight (George Ryder S.-Gr1), Ozzmosis (Coolmore Stud S.-Gr1) and Arkansaw Kid (Gothic S.-LR) to have won at stakes level in 2023/24, while the same ‘Class of 2022’ includes last season’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Little Brose.
Veight, Ozzmosis, Little Brose, Wymark (NZ) and Arkansaw Kid were all sold within a few weeks of each other at the beginning of the 2022 domestic yearling sale series. Ozzmosis, Little Brose and Wymark (NZ) were sold on the Gold Coast by Magic MIllions, while Veight and Arkansaw Kid were sold at the Classic Sale in Sydney by Inglis.