By Garrick Knight
Recently-retired pacer Ultimate Machete has been purchased for stallion duties in a partnership deal between two New Zealand stud farms.
South Auckland’s Alabar Stud and Christchurch’s Nevele R Stud have acquired the son of Bettor’s Delight after he was retired from racing through injury last month.
It is not the first partnership between the two studs, who purchased Ultimate Machete’s former stablemate and three-year-old adversary, Vincent, in a similar deal last year, and also stand American shuttle stallions A Rocknroll Dance and Always B Miki together.
The acquisition of Ultimate Machete is part of a concerted effort by the studs to support the local product, according to Alabar’s New Zealand manager, Graeme Henley.
“Vincent had an amazing response last year, and we were really thrilled with it so that made us even more determined as a group to get these colonial stallions under way.
“We think it will be an important model going forward, especially when you consider how well the New Zealand breed has performed in North America recently with Lazarus, Shartin, Bit Of A Legend and so forth.
“For the life of me, I can’t believe that there is any horse racing in North America at present better-credentialed than Ultimate Machete to stand here.
“And this way, rather than us securing another shuttle stallion, it stops all that money going back to North America.”
Ged Mooar, General Manager at Nevele R Stud, sees the venture is low-risk.
“When you read his resume, he sure does have a lot to offer to Australasian breeders.
“A strong, tough entire with a high cruising speed that he carried over a good distance, with a stallion’s pedigree to boot.
“Together with Alabar, Nevele R is prepared to give locally sourced stallions with top-quality credentials every chance at stud.”
Ultimate Machete was voted both the Three and Four-Year-Old Male Pacer of the Year in the past two seasons off the back of a brilliant Sires Stakes win at three and three straight Group 1 wins as a four-year-old, including two in Perth.
The most memorable, of course, was his brilliant effort to sit parked outside Tiger Tara and win in the New Zealand Free For All in New Zealand Record time in November of 2017.
Mark Purdon co-trained Ultimate Machete throughout his career and he is full of admiration for what the horse achieved in what was ultimately an injury-shortened career.
“He was a very tough horse with a great attitude. He never gave in, always trying right to the wire.
“He was a horse who could really maintain his high speed.”
Most will have forgotten, too, that Ultimate Machete was the favourite for this season’s New Zealand Cup before a minor hoof issue become apparent ten days before the great race, forcing his scratching.
And while his deeds on the track were relatively short-lived, he bloodlines will remain prominent through his younger brother, Ultimate Sniper, who has this year’s Three-Year-Old of the Year crown sewn up.
Ultimate Machete will stand in the flesh at Alabar’s Waiau Pa property at an introductory service fee of $3,000 (plus GST) in New Zealand and $3,000 (incl GST) in Australia
- Garrick Knight, NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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