Homesickness is simply defined as the distress caused by being away from home. It can affect humans and animals and can sometimes take a long time to dissipate. In the case of a New Zealand thoroughbred called Palmetto a full year was required for the gelding to overcome the effects of leaving his rural south island home. He’d had nine starts for Invercargill trainer Sally McKay who’d always said that his best days were ahead of him. Perhaps his obvious immaturity was the reason he failed to reach his $10,000 reserve at the 2020 South Island. Purchased privately by his eleven current owners, Palmetto went way down south to talented trainer Sally McKay who actually got him to win a late season two year old race at Riccarton in June of 2021. Despite that emphatic win she couldn’t get him to the spelling paddock quickly enough.
On resuming Palmetto didn’t win at his first five starts, but raced encouragingly in all of them. He then came from midfield to swamp the opposition in the listed Dunedin Guineas at Wangatui, posting a 2.3 length winning margin. Just two weeks later he was even more impressive in charging home to win the listed Southland Guineas at Ascot Park in Invercargill by a widening three lengths. Soon after his stakes double, the decision was made to give Palmetto an opportunity in Australia. He finished a close third in an open three year old event at Riccarton before boarding a flight to Sydney.
“Sally was right when she said this horse was a long way off his best,” said new trainer John Sargent. “Not only did he have a long way to go in his development, but he was also desperately unhappy in a stable environment. He’d spent a lot of time in the paddock at Invercargill and hated being boxed. He walked constantly, only picked at his feed and his coat wasn’t right. We knew he was going to take quite some time to settle into his new surroundings. We didn’t expect it to take the best part of a year.”
John decided to give him a quiet barrier trial three weeks after his arrival before accepting for a BM78 at Randwick on April 22nd of last year. “It was the heaviest track he’d ever raced on, and he finished a bad last,” said John. “It was pointless going on at that stage so we got him straight to the paddock.”
John Sargent and Palmetto's eleven owners couldn't have imagined he'd be wearing the winners rug after The Coast - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Palmetto resumed in the spring of last year but again failed to deliver his best NZ form. He was unplaced in four starts, not beaten very far but less than interested in his work. “He still wasn’t right,” recalled Sargent. “His appetite was only average and he was generally unsettled. There was only one thing to do and that was to turn him out again. The tremendous patience of Palmetto’s ownership group has been handsomely rewarded this preparation. The four year old has been a different horse since arriving back in the stable. He looks better, he’s eating and working better and his race form has gone to another level.”
Palmetto’s first up run on April 10th was the performance of a rejuvenated racehorse. He was caught three wide throughout before chiming in at the top of the straight. He got to the lead fleetingly before going under by a head and a head to Cognac and Silent Agenda. He tried valiantly but lack of racing caught up in the last few strides. The benefit of that run was plainly obvious twelve days later when he stepped out in a 1500m BM88 at the Hawkesbury metropolitan meeting. Kerrin McEvoy had Palmetto travelling smoothly in fourth spot throughout, before launching three wide on the turn. The Kiwi took a while to hit top gear but savaged the line late to win by a decisive margin. The Coast at Gosford’s stand alone Saturday meeting was the logical next step.
Palmetto's attitude changed completely after two long spells. He was dominant in winning a BM88 at Hawkesbury in April - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
With the benefit of one ride on the horse, McEvoy went out to ride him in similar fashion. He went forward from a wide draw and settled down in fourth spot one off the fence in the 1600m $500,000 feature. Aided by a solid pace Palmetto swept up to the leaders turning for home and had them well covered at the 200m. His work in the closing stages was the work of a horse who’s finally putting it all together. It was a brilliant victory for an expatriate Kiwi cheered home by a large contingent of owners who’d travelled across the Tasman to watch their boy in action in the third running of The Coast. It was a treble for Kerrin McEvoy, while John Sargent made it two wins from only three editions of the rich Gosford race.
Palmetto had them covered at the 200m in The Coast at Gosford - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Many race fans queried the identity of the winner’s sire Ghibellines who stands at the White Robe Stud at North Taieri on the South Island. Ghibellines is a son of the celebrated racehorse and sire Shamardal who died in 2020 at age 18. The colt was a member of the powerful Godolphin string at Warwick Farm during John O’Shea’s stint as head trainer. He raced only eight times before going amiss, for a win in the Gr 2 Todman Stakes and two stakes placings. By coincidence he was ridden in the Todman Stakes victory by Kerrin McEvoy who has ridden his son Palmetto in two recent victories. Ghibellines is emerging as a great value sire with several stakes winners already on the board including the vastly improved Smokin’ Romans, winner of a Pakenham Cup, the Gr 3 Naturalism Stakes, the Gr 1 Turnbull Stakes and responsible for tidy efforts in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups last spring.
Flashback to 2014! Palmetto's sire Ghibellines wins the Todman Stakes at Rosehill. He is now an emerging sire in NZ - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Palmetto’s improvement has been significant enough for John Sargent to consider a throw at the stumps in the $1 million dollar Doomben Cup to be run on May 27th. One thing the gelding has in his favour is the presence of Carl Holt in the ownership syndicate. Carl, one of the most enthusiastic racing men in the country is in white hot form coming into the Brisbane winter carnival. He shares in the ownership of 2021 Doomben Cup winner Zaaki whose Hollindale Stakes win on Saturday points to another bold showing in this year’s edition. Carl also part owns recent Canberra Cup and Ranvet Stakes winner Arapaho who is currently in the spelling paddock. Another topliner in which he’s involved is brilliant sprinter Lost And Running, winner of 9 races and $2.87 million.
John Sargent’s universal reputation as a conditioner of staying fillies may well be further boosted when he campaigns in Brisbane with So Dazzling. The lightly raced So You Think filly runs for a large ownership syndicate which includes John himself, and the Think Big Stud. Fittingly she races in the famous black and white chequered colours of the legendary owner DatoTan Chin Nam who died in 2018 at the grand age of 92. Like so many of the Sargent trained horses, So Dazzling has been allowed to develop slowly, and is just now approaching peak form. Perhaps a touch below par in the Gr 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill, she bounced back with a cracking second to top Kiwi filly Pennyweka in the recent Australian Oaks. While the winner had to endure a wide and testing run, So Dazzling was the beneficiary of a masterful ride from the amazing Joao Moreira.
The Brazilian ace went back to last from a wide gate and gave his mount a rails hugging ride from that point on. He brought So Dazzling from third last at the 800m to be in exactly the right spot at the right moment as they topped the rise. It was a ride that would have resulted in victory on most occasions. On the day So Dazzling and Joao happened to be chasing a fit, tough and very talented New Zealand filly who deserved all the honours of the race. That said, John Sargent has his filly where he wants her as the Brisbane carnival approaches. Kept up to the mark with a soft barrier trial win over Purple Sector on May 1st, So Dazzling will make her presence felt at Eagle Farm.
So Dazzling had the misfortune to run into top class NZ filly Pennyweka in the Australian Oaks - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
John is devoting a lot of thought to the filly’s likely mission north of the border. With the Queensland Oaks to be run over 2200m on June 3rd, the astute trainer is strongly considering coming back a week to the 2400m of the Queensland Derby. “I’m convinced this filly will stay all day,” says John. “I genuinely believe she will be better suited by the 2400m of the Derby, especially if they go a decent gallop. It’s not cut and dried yet but that’s the way I’m heading.”
John’s first taste of 3YO Gr 1 success in Australia came in 2012 when he brought Quintessential to Brisbane for the Queensland Oaks after three NZ wins. She won the Oaks in a breeze with expat Kiwi Damian Browne in the saddle, and followed up with a strong second to Brambles in the Derby. Perhaps this is in John’s mind as he plans So Dazzling’s Brisbane campaign.
The following year John identified another staying prospect for the Melbourne spring carnival, and once again his judgement was vindicated. He produced a filly called Kirramosa to win the Wakeful Stakes with Tommy Berry up, and the Crown Oaks with Nash Rawiller in the saddle. Twelve months later the NZ Oaks came his way when Miss Mossman won by a space at Trentham with Jonathon Parks on board.
John’s best remembered three year old classic win was his Randwick triumph with Gust Of Wind in the Australian Oaks of 2015. In winning by 2.5 lengths, Gust Of Wind became the last horse to beat Winx, whose history making sequence of 33 consecutive wins would begin just a month later. Gust of Wind had been unplaced at her only Victorian start for Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig before going for an extended spell. When the Darci Brahma filly returned to training she was in the Randwick stables of John Sargent.
Her maiden win at Scone over 1400m in February 2015 had race fans staring in disbelief. She began on terms with the field but immediately arched her neck like a European two miler and tailed out a distant last. She’d tacked on by the turn but still conceded the leaders twelve lengths on straightening up. She was low flying on the line to win by a neck from the favourite Halimede. Gust Of Wind followed up with another impressive win in Class 1 company at Hawkesbury which earned her a shot at the Gr 3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick. Perhaps she was a touch disappointing in finishing fourth to Candelara, but her trainer was looking forward to the step up in distance in the Oaks. Jockeys must have been playing “musical chairs” with the three year old fillies in the autumn of 2015. Jay Ford, Brenton Avdulla and Zac Purton had ridden Gust Of Wind in her three NSW runs, but it was Tye Angland who gave the filly a gun ride to win the Australian Oaks at only her fifth race start.
There was some criticism of Joao Moreira’s ride on Winx in the Oaks, but if you can see anything wrong with it when you study the replay, please let me know. Joao had to get going a fraction early when the horse he was trailing stopped quickly. Winx was four deep with cover on the turn, but had her chance to run down Gust Of Wind from the top of the rise. She failed by a very decisive 2.5 lengths. Remember this was the sixth time Winx had been beaten at that stage of her career. She simply jumped out of the ground thereafter to post a world record 33 consecutive wins. Who would have thought!
A rare sight! Winx had to play second fiddle to Gust Of Wind (Tye Angland) in the 2015 Australian Oaks. It was the last time she was beaten - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Another very good three year old filly prepared by “Sarge” was Luvaluva whose six wins and eight placings yielded $850,000 for her lucky owners. She ran fourth in the Crown Oaks after winning the Wakeful before returning in the autumn to win the Gr 3 Kembla Classic and the Gr 3 Adrian Knox Stakes. She later added a Gr 3 Summer Cup and a listed January Cup to her record.
John Sargent was at Gosford to see Palmetto give him two wins in just three editions of The Coast - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Palmetto up in grade pretty sharply to the Doomben Cup and So Dazzling for the Derby rather than the Oaks. These are the likely Brisbane targets for two fit and healthy Sargent trained horses. When it comes to the power of observation and plain “gut feel” nobody does it better than John Sargent. The veteran trainer pulls the right rein more often than not. His decision will be anxiously awaited by an army of punters who know a good judge when they see one.
(Image banner - Several members of Palmetto's ownership group travelled from NZ to watch their boy win under sunny skies at Gosford - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)