Brilliant pacer Lazarus has been sold to a North American syndicate. He will not race in New Zealand again after being sold for a figure understood to be $4-5 million.
The move by his owners, Phil and Glenys Kennard and Trevor Casey of Christchurch, and Kevin Riseley of Victoria, will leave New Zealand officials with serious concerns over the state of their industry.
If Lazarus, arguably the greatest standardbred to race in New Zealand, can not be retained as a racing and breeding proposition within the country, then it must raise doubts over the viability of racing any other horse here.
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained pacer has compiled an incomparable race record and prizemoney of $3.8 million. Of that, $1.6 million was won this season in races Lazarus looks to have at his mercy again, given the already weak Australasian open-class scene.
The rigours of another hard campaign were a factor in his sale.
"We were reluctant sellers. We really wanted him racing here to focus on his third [New Zealand] Cup [campaign] and let the harness racing New Zealand public see it," Phil Kennard said.
"It is a major disappointment that we are not going to see that, but with what Mark [Purdon] was telling us with where the horse was at, we took his advice, and a couple of the parties were a little bit indifferent about carrying on and running the risk with him [next] season."
The heart-breaking decision to forgo a shot at a third consecutive New Zealand Cup was ultimately made to give Lazarus a chance to redefine the breeding world and stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres, Kennard said.
The successful bid to secure Lazarus was made by a group with ties to the thoroughbred industry in Kentucky. It plans to campaign Lazarus with a top American trainer and target four races to showcase his talents to North American breeders.
Lazarus will have an opportunity to run a fast mile time on the world’s fastest track, the famous Red Mile track at Lexington.If he can succeed at that then Lazarus could become the first New Zealand-bred harness shuttle stallion to stand in both hemispheres.
It is common for North American-bred stallions, like his sire Bettor’s Delight, to alternate between the hemispheres, but it is unheard of for a New Zealand-bred horse.
"It is exciting to be part of that and make a little bit of history," Kennard said.
"He is a 5yr-old and he is going to get every opportunity in the world to become a leading stallion.
"Although we were reluctant to see him sold, there is that part of it to see lots of little Lazaruses running around."
The quest to turn a stallion into a shuttling success has been tried twice before.
Auckland Reactor was sold in a fashion similar to Lazarus before embarking on a North American racing career that could only be described as a diabolical failure.
He returned to New Zealand and now stands successfully at stud.
Christian Cullen had one season at stud in North America, but was doomed to fail without a proven race record there.
Lazarus, by Bettor’s Delight out of Bethany, was bred by Dunedin’s Gavin Chin and Brian West, of Canterbury.
"As a racing fan, it’s devastating he won’t get to race on our shores again, but I really hope he can show the world how far our breed has developed," Chin said.
"I am sure Laz will try his best in North America like he has done here and do New Zealand proud."
