Confessional proves too strong in Sires Stakes Championship

The Paul Nairn trained and driven Father Patrick gelding Confessional was a class above his rivals in the Group 2 NZ Sires Stakes 3YO Trotters Championship (2,200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday evening, putting on a powerful staying performance to win by open lengths.

Racing without cover for the majority of the trip, Confessional and Nairn took the lead with just over 700m to go and never looked back, drawing away to win by seven lengths.

Watch a replay of the race here.

A Group 1 winner at two last season, Confessional is the winner of four races to date and $99,089 in stakes money.

Bred in the purple, Confessional is out of the former NZ 2YO and 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year of the Year, Habibti, a five-time Group 1 winning daughter of Love You.

The likely favourite for this Fridayʻs Group 1 Northern Trotting Derby, Confessional will be looking to go one better than his dam who finished second in this race to the Aussie raider Blitzthemcalder back in 2013.

It was a Nevele R sired quinella in the Sires Stakes Championship, with the Creatine filly Virginia Clowers recording her second runner-up performance in a row in a stakes race, having also finished second to fellow Creatine filly Walkinonsunshine in the Group 3 Northern Trotting Oaks at the beginning of the month.