A plan came together for the Cruz clan when Mighty Maverick broke through for trainer Derek Cruz and gave the family a first Hong Kong winner to come through his sons’ burgeoning New Zealand operation.
Trevor Cruz set up Winmark Stables in Cambridge in 2013 and is now training in partnership with brother Martin, and while the stable has already struck Group race success in New Zealand, it was also established with a view to preparing horses for export to their father’s Sha Tin yard.
“I’m happy to see it all come together and it’s great to keep it all in the family,” Derek Cruz said after Mighty Maverick followed an encouraging last-start fourth to win at his third local start. “He is a horse that we picked out as a yearling, educated as a young horse and then qualified to race here. It is immensely satisfying.
“He wasn’t an expensive horse and we’ve been able to bring him right up from a yearling. We are going to do more of it as well, with both Private Purchases and Private Purchase Griffins as well – buying and preparing them ourselves for our owners.”
Mighty Maverick cost A$160,000 (HK$940,000) at the 2013 Magic Millions Yearling Sale and after winning on debut in a Matamata maiden, competed well at stakes level, finishing third in a Group Three sprint for three-year-olds at Ellerslie – an effort that had the gelding rated near the top of Class Three.
Even though Mighty Maverick came back in trip to win at 1,400m, the trainer believes the son of Snitzel won’t have any problems getting further, and is excited about the horse’s future.
“I think he will make a nice horse here,” Cruz said of the four-year-old. “I’m not worried that we’ve missed the Hong Kong Derby with him as he is going to be a really nice horse in time.”
Mighty Maverick’s only win came on soft ground and Callan said the son of Snitzel may have taken some benefit from cut in the ground, especially late in the day at Sha Tin after intermittent rain throughout the meeting had softened the racing surface.
“I’m sure he enjoyed it as he has quite a knee action on him,” Callan said. “He will get a bit further yet and he won well. What was encouraging is that he is still quite green and wanted to run around when he hit the front, so he is going to improve with more racing under his belt.”
