Yourdeel has completed New Zealand’s Group One double for two-year-olds with a barnstorming finish in the Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes at Awapuni.
The Jamie Richards-trained two-year-old had entered Saturday’s 1400m-race as favourite following his win on a wet track in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie earlier this month.
But he looked a forlorn chance at the top of the straight when he was around eight lengths behind the leader First Rock.
Opie Bosson had Yourdeel in full flight at the 50m as he blazed past his rivals to score by just on a half-length with Aretha snatching second from Bella Mente .
“He has really stood up and raised the bar this season hasn’t he,” Richards told NZ Racing Desk.
“He’s quite an incredible horse.
“The way he worked on Tuesday, I didn’t know if we were going to be here or not, but it was a great effort by the team at home and that man on top (Bosson), who is such an important part of our team.”
Bosson admitted he was not confident at the 600m.
“We just wobbled around the last corner and even across the top I was thinking ‘Jamie is going to kill me’,” he said.
“I’m just so lucky he (Richards) is a champion trainer as he got this horse back on track after his ordinary gallop on Tuesday.
“Once I balanced him up, he changed leg and really charged to the line. I dropped my inside rein, so he did it all on his own.
“He’s a top-quality horse who is going to be exciting at three.”
Yourdeel is a son of first season sire Dundeel, New Zealand’s champion of 2013-14 who won six Group One races in Australia.
