Interplanetary took another important step towards a potential Auckland Cup campaign with an impressive victory in Saturday's Rating 65, Horizon By Sky City 2400m at Ellerslie.
While simply a Rating 65 success on paper, the way he finished through the line gave connections every reason to believe the five-year-old is developing into a genuine stayer and Auckland Cup prospect.
Trained by Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, Interplanetary's staying potential has always been evident, lining up in the 2025 New Zealand Derby with the Clotworthy’s other runner, Willydoit.
Unfortunately though luck deserted him at a few crucial stages in running. "At the 700-metre mark he got held up behind a horse that was dropping back through the field, and then again at the 400 metres when he was pushed back towards the rail when taking a gap," said Kingmakers Syndications Racing Manager Leighton Howl.
"We were surprised he picked himself up to finish tenth. Jockey, Ace Lawson-Carroll was travelling well before the interference and, without those setbacks, we genuinely believe he was capable of finishing in the first four."
"Following the Derby, Interplanetary was gelded and given plenty of time to mature, both physically and mentally. The operation knocked him around a little mentally, so we deliberately took our time with him," said Howl.
"As a four-year-old he only had five starts before we decided he needed to go out for a proper spell. We told the owners to be patient because we believed we'd see the best of him as a spring five-year-old."
That patience wasn't without its challenges, with a couple of owners moving on during the horse's extended break.
Fortunately Kingmakers, were able to introduce some enthusiastic new young owners from Rotorua who wanted to get involved with a genuine staying prospect. That's one of the great things about our new Kingmakers website – new owners can discover shares and opportunities from anywhere in NZ, if they search and have a good look around.
Saturday's victory was particularly satisfying for trainer Shaun & Harrison Clotworthy, who felt the horse had shown enough in recent starts to suggest a win was close.
"He probably should have won his previous start over 2200 metres at Ellerslie but simply got too far back before charging home late," Clotworthy said.
"Before that, he ran a terrific fourth at Ruakaka after covering extra ground throughout, so we'd already seen the encouraging signs. We've always believed he'll relish the 3200 metres of the Auckland Cup."
That belief is shared by jockey George Rooke, who was impressed with how well Interplanetary relaxed throughout Saturday's race.
The current plan is to progress through a 2200-metre assignment at Te Aroha in October before returning to Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup Day for a 2400-metre Rating 75 event.
"Every run is about building him towards March. The Auckland Cup is the race we've had in mind for some time, and now he's showing us he's heading in the right direction." Clotworthy said.
Saturday's success was made even sweeter for the ownership group, who backed their confidence in the horse before the race.
"The Kingmakers owners have shown enormous patience throughout his development," said Howl. "We backed him from $6-1 into $3-1 because we thought it was our day to get a bit back off the TAB and help balance out a few months of ownership costs. It's nice when the owners get the full box of chocolates – the stake money and a collect on the punt."
With a patient preparation and an exciting return to form, Interplanetary has put himself firmly on the path towards one of New Zealand's great staying prizes. If his latest performance is any guide, his Auckland Cup dream is very much alive.
