Not even sitting parked on a national record-breaking speed could stop the 4yr-old from handing his older rivals a good old-fashioned thrashing in the $260,000 group 1 event.
Ultimate Machete’s 2.15.7 winning time lowered his stablemate Chase Auckland’s national 1950m mobile record, set on Tuesday, by 0.4sec.
The horse made a stunning announcement that he would be a forced to be reckoned with in Australasia’s open pacing ranks. Despite that, though, it is his own age-group that should start worrying Ultimate Machete is coming.
Mosgiel co-owner Phil Creighton, who shares in the ownership of the 4yr-old with wife Margaret, confirmed after the race the horse was booked to fly to Perth to contest 4yr-old races over the Interdominion carnival.
"He is tough isn’t he? That was unbelievable. He is on a plane on Sunday to Perth," he said.
Natalie Rasmussen, who drove the horse and co-trains him with Mark Purdon, was equally as staggered with the horse’s win as his owners were.
"He sort of shouldn’t have won really, sitting out there against that field.
"He just loves it. He is in for a dogfight. The harder they go, the harder he goes.
"I just have so much respect for him. He is so strong; he is a good horse."
While Ultimate Machete’s breakout win in the open ranks should be scary enough for his Perth rivals, Rasmussen expects the horse to get even fitter with more racing as well as getting even better with more time.
"He is only second-up. He has got a little bit of fitness still coming and he is only a 4yr-old."
Tara Tiger ran a commendable second placing after setting up the record-breaking race speed, while Jack’s Legend was close up in third.
Otago hope Titan Banner’s hopes were effectively over at the start.
Starting from barrier 8 on sizzling race speed meant he simply could not get into the race.
The Purdon-Rasmussen trained The Fixer announced himself as a genuine open class contender — though not as spectacularly as Ultimate Machete did — by winning race 6.
"He is a beautiful horse. I really feel he is a genuine horse," Rasmussensaid.
"I still feel he is 12 months away from where he needs to be; he is a bit immature.
"He has got speed, he has got strength and he has even got gate speed if you need it. He has just got the all-round game, he has got manners and he is kind."
The Fixer, who also won on New Zealand Cup day on Tuesday, is a possible Auckland Cup contender, but his immediate racing plans would not be set until his recovery from racing twice over New Zealand Cup week was measured, Rasmussen said.
"We were thinking Auckland Cup, but we have so many others going.
"We will just assess how he pulls up through the two runs in a week and we might just give him a little break and go again or maybe look towards the Chariots Of Fire."
