Kingman reigns supreme in Christian Cullen Classic
Kingman, the breakout star of Australasian harness racing this spring, added a third successive Group 1 win to his record within the space of five weeks when an easy winner of the Christian Cullen 4YO Classic at Addington on Friday night.
Starting from the outside of the front row, the son of Always B Miki bided his time at the back of the field before moving up to take the lead with 1000m to run.
Once in front, it was always going to be difficult for his rivals to get past him, and so it proved, with the New Zealand Cup winner crossing the line a comfortable one a quarter lengths clear of the second placegetter The Lazarus Effect.
It was the Luke McCarthy trained and driven 4-year-old entire’s 15th career win and took his stakes earnings to just under NZ$990,000.
Bred and raced by Mick Harvey, Kingman is out of the eight-win Dali mare Gotta Go Dali Queen, making him from a highly successful New Zealand maternal family - with his granddam the NZ 2YO Pacing Filly of the Year Gotta Go Harmony and his great-granddam the New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year Elect To Live.