Karaka graduate Little Bridge (NZ) made history when he became the first New Zealand bred horse to win the G1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

Little Bridge (6g Faltaat – Golden Rose by Gold Brose) settled just off the pace set by Tangerine Trees (Mind Games) before forging clear under Zac Purton to claim the fourth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

The NZ bred sprinter added this prestigious Group 1 to his roll-call of feature victories in Hong Kong that includes this year’s G2 Sprint Cup and G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy at Sha Tin.

Purton has piloted Little Bridge in 9 of his 10 career wins and produced a brilliant ride on the world stage.  “He jumped almost two lengths clear when the gates opened and spent the first 200 metres with his ears pricked taking it all in,” said Purton.  “I have ridden him enough times to know what I had under me so when we got to the 200 metre mark and I pushed the button I knew there would be something there.

“This horse has really come on in the last six months and we came here confident that he would put in a good performance.  It was hard to gauge the form around the European horses but we knew he was capable of being right there in the finish.”

Little Bridge was purchased by Margaret Harkema from Wentwood Grange for just $9,000 at NZ Bloodstock’s 2007 National Weanling Sale.

He is the first New Zealand galloper to win a Group 1 race at the highly prestigious Royal Ascot meeting.  And he is also one of two Karaka graduates to have won a Group 1 race in England in the last 12 months with High Chaparral champion So You Think (NZ) capturing the 2011 Eclipse Stakes (2000m).

Karaka has also been represented in England’s Group 1 ranks by the NZ bred Champion Miler Starcraft (Soviet Star) who won the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (1600m).

Trainer Danny Shum said Little Bridge will enter quarantine later this week in preparation for his trip back to Hong Kong.  Japan’s leg of the Global Sprint Challenge in September is the next international tour on his agenda.

Little Bridge