Now that the footy season has concluded its trade time with all teams looking for new and also experienced recruits – The Racing League is no different with the NSW Tycoons picking up a new winning edition in Koning.
He is a talented lightly raced galloper with plenty of upside and is sure to give the Tycoons plenty to cheer about.
Living up to the motto of More Runners, More Winners, More Thrills, Koning has been bought in partnership with Richard and Will Freedman for $80,000 on the Inglis Early October Online Sale.
THE TALE SO FAR
Plenty of NSW Tycoons owners got to see Koning up close and personal at Warwick Farm last Wednesday.
He was stabled next to their very own Etched In Time as part of the Richard and Will Freedman team and finished a fighting second in the Shinzo at Coolmore Handicap over 2110m.
“Look, it was a great run and you could see in the final 100 meters he showed great tenacity after being headed by a couple of other horses to fight back and finished second.
“He hasn’t always helped himself by being a bit fierce in the run, but he’s slowly learning to relax and that will make him so much more competitive whatever distance he races over” trainer Richard Freedman said.
Koning – Inglis Digital sale conformation photo
Richard and Will Freedman
RACE CAREER SO FAR
Richard and Will Freedman have always had a good opinion of Koning.
“He won at Newcastle last preparation like a real nice horse and then we took him to Melbourne for Vase at Moonee Valley where he wasn’t quite up to them on the day but wasn’t that far away.
“He has always given the impression he will get better with age and he’s been well looked after and maybe the most important thing, he is a very sound horse” Richard said.
In all his runs this prep Koning has been far away, like this past Wednesday at Warwick Farm, and also a good third at Rosehill in August.
TICKS ALL THE BOXES
Be assured all care and checks have been put into the purchase of Koning, as you all know the one thing that can’t be guaranteed is the outcome, but that’s the racing game.
There were no guarantees when TRL purchased Northern Eyes 4 wins and Estadio Mestalla who’s now headed to the $3 million Big Dance or the $800,000 Little Dance on Melbourne Cup day at Royal Randwick.
“All I can say is he ticks a lot of boxes.
“Koning has plenty of quality about him and was an expensive yearling costing over $500,000 as a son of star stallion Kingman, who is the dad of the Godolphin-trained Zardozi many people will know.
“He is still only a 4-year-old and he has already been gelded but has only had 14 starts for 1 win and six minor placings.
“It’s now just a matter of unlocking the key to turn some of those placings into WINS and that just might come with aiming him at some middle-distance races when he returns” Steve Brown said.
Koning Sire – Kingman
Kingman X Patsy Boyne sales pedigree page
WHAT NOW
At a pinch we could squeeze one more run out of him in his new NSW Tycoons colours, but he has been in work for some time and the bloodstock team believes it’s better to give him a good spell on the back of that second at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
There’s always a bit of an advantage if they head to the paddock while still a happy and healthy horse and that’s the case for Koning.
“He’ll have a nice spell and I know TRL is eager to give him his shot at some middle-distance races, so that’s what we will try for when he returns.
“The good thing is with his Benchmark rating of 72, he is still eligible for some Midway races at Randwick and Rosehill and they have them over 1600 and 1800 metres, “ Richard said.
It’s worth noting that Koning is also eligible for the lucrative Magic Millions carnival being bought from that sale in January 2022 for $525,000.
Check out his win at Newcastle below.
Go You Good Thing!