Thorn Park regained a slender lead at the top of the NZ sires’ premiership after Veyron claimed the Haunui Farm WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki on Saturday.

Veyron (6g Thorn Park – Over The Limit by Centro) has been in superb form this campaign finishing second to Shez Sinsational in the G1 Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day before winning a star-studded G1 Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa on February 11.

Stand-in jockey Mark Hills was grateful for the mount after regular rider Leith Innes wasn’t available.  “I rode him in work and he’s ready to explode walking off the track,” Innes claimed.  “He thriving and seems to have bounced through every run he’s had this season.”

Trained by Linda Laing at Cambridge, he has now won 12 of 19 starts for owner-breeders Isabel and Alistaire Barker.  His first win at the elite level was in the Easter Hcp at Ellerslie in April 2011.  Veyron’s second dam Limitless (Diamante D) won a Brisbane Cup when trained by Laing’s father Royce Dowling.

The $200,000 Haunui Farm Classic prizemoney helped Thorn Park increase his progeny earnings to $1.01 million this season.  He leads O’Reilly ($1.00m), Pins ($915,000) and Pentire ($784,000).

Thorn Park won the coveted Grosvenor Award for New Zealand’s Champion sire in 2010-11 thanks, in large part, to his champion colt Jimmy Choux who won the NZ Derby and NZ 2000 Guineas.

Thorn Park (Spinning World) is based at Windsor Park and studmaster Nelson Schick raised his service fee to $20,000 last year.

Schick purchased Thorn Park from the late Les Samba before he won the G1 Stradbroke Hcp in June 2004.  “He had a huge turn of foot and could reel off some great sectionals,” Schick recalled.  “He’s a magnificent looking horse, too.”