After enjoying its most successful racing season since its inception, Madison County has kickstarted the China Horse Club into 2019 in emphatic fashion after securing the club’s first G1 triumph for the year. The season was only 12 days old when the lithe bay exploded from the pack in the G1 Levin Classic to secure his second ‘major’ in as many starts in Trentham, New Zealand.
Madison County, who had previously annexed the G1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas in November last year, had little trouble accounting for more experience peers and now shapes as a leading contender for the NZ$1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic in a fortnights time.
“[Madison County] is not very big but he’s all heart,” co-trainer Andrew Forsman said post-race.
“He was four-back the fence and, in reality, that was always where he was going to be. I sort of wanted to walk away half-way through the race as I thought he had too much to do.
“He was a horse who hadn’t raced for a while and probably just felt the pinch at the end, but he was very brave.”
The China Horse Club owned gelding has already banked $NZ530,000 in prize money from his seven-start career and continued success in the Karaka Million would see that tally double. The lightly raced, tough-as-teak, versatile performer may also shape for several high-profile racing events in Australia in 2019. Melbourne’s lucrative AUD5,000,000 All-Star Mile may be on his agenda as could Sydney’s The Championships. Later in the year, Sydney’s recently launched AUD7,500,000 Golden Eagle is likely to also be an option for consideration as is Melbourne’s Spring Carnival and New Zealand’s Spring Classic.
If you would like to learn more about the China Horse Club exclusive membership offer, please email your inquiry to horses@chinahorseclub.com