Stakes success for son of Captain Crunch
Captain Crunch further enhanced his reputation as one of Australasia’s most exciting young pacing sires by producing a new stakes winner for the second consecutive weekend.
That new stakes winner was the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained 3-year-old Franco Ankara, who was an impressive victor of the $50,000 Listed Sires’ Stakes Foundations Pace at Addington Raceway on Friday night.
After an unlucky third when held up late in the previous weekend’s Ian Dobson Memorial “Johnny Globe” 3YO Classic, Carter Dalgety took luck out of the equation this time round, settling Franco Ankara at the rear of the field before following Suspicious Captain forward to sit in the one-one.
Franco Ankara then unleashed his trademark finishing burst in the back straight and held off Song Of Seas by a head, with Captain Tyron (Captain Crunch) a further two and a half lengths back in third.
It was Franco Ankara’s third career win, improving his earnings to $62,604.
Bred by Spreydon Lodge Limited, Franco Ankara is out of the American Ideal mare After Party, making him a half-brother to Group 2 winner Sherlock, and from the maternal family of reigning NZ Horse of the Year Republican Party and current season Group 1-winning juvenile Tour Party.
Franco Ankara is Captain Crunch’s 11th Australasian stakes winner, and fourth this season.
Captain Crunch currently ranks among the top four 3YO Pacing Sires on both sides of the Tasman and sits second on the New Zealand 4YO Pacing Sires Premiership.