A Stunning talent emerged from NZ in 2023, but how far can this colt go

Crocetti stood head and shoulders above his age group throughout the 2023/24 season with his jump and run style. He began his three-year-old campaign with a pair of jaw-dropping Ruakaka wins by a combined margin of nine lengths, including the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), having only debuted at Pukekohe in February. Croccetti is by the sire, Zacinto from an O'Reilly dam in Gracehill, who only had six starts for two wins. Her mother, Irish Colleen is by the powerful sire Shinko King and managed to win 7, including a Listed race at Rotorua and ran in Rating 90 grade. Irish Colleen has transferred her talent on the track to the breeding barn; she’s the dam of the seven-time winner and Gr.3 victor Killarney and Crosshaven. The Zacinto/O'Reilly pedigree cross has worked well and encompasses He's A Doozy and Secret Allure. Crocetti is trained at Byerley Park by Danny Walker and Arron Tata, while adjacent to the training facility is the Chesterfields property where Crocetti's owner-breeder Daniel Nakhle keeps his 20-odd broodmares and young stock. And it was Walker’s advice that made Nakhle persevere with Crocetti after he had returned from the breakers with unfavourable reports.

Another two superb successes at Te Rapa with Warren Kennedy aboard followed for Croccetti, sweeping aside the likes of subsequent Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) winner Impendabelle and the previously undefeated Lupo Solitario, and collecting his second stakes win in the Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m). The first Gr.1 winner for Nakhle and the Walker-Tata training partnership, came with a win in the NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton (1600m), Crocetti had banked more than $692,375 in prize-money with six wins from sevens starts. It was the sixth win of a spectacular six-start career for the super-talented chestnut, who became only the third horse to ever win the 2000 Guineas with an unbeaten record. After Crocetti had shown such brilliance and dominance over 1100m, 1200m and 1400m, the only possible question mark around his Guineas credentials surrounded the step up to 1600m at Riccarton. But the Zacinto gelding emphatically put those doubts to rest. Crocetti stopped the clock at 1:34.59, which is the fastest 2000 Guineas since another son of Zacinto, Ugo Foscolo, clocked 1:33.81 in 2016. Sacred Falls also recorded his sixth win in succession in the 2012 edition of the race, while Aegon took his record to three-from-three with his Guineas victory in 2020.

Undefeated three-year-old Crocetti was billed as one of the headline acts of the Karaka Millions mega meeting at Ellerslie in 2023, and he got the evening off to a perfect start in the opening race on the card. Crocetti had to carry 60kg under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race and was giving away at least 3kg to all of his rivals. Crocetti pounced in the straight and it was all over, charging past the previously unbeaten Merchant Queen and opening up a winning margin of a length and a half. Croccetti's only loss came in the Gr.3 BDC Group Sprint Open WFA at Te Rapa (1400m) in February 2024 when beaten into 2nd 0.2L by the talented Bonny Lass. Walker felt the run was a taxing one for Crocetti as he chased from a long way out, so he was keen to give the horse a rest until Spring.

Crocetti returned fresh up as a four-year-old in early August 2024 to win the Kerikeri Cup at Ruakaka, a little rusty but still looking every bit the star.

RACE RECORD - 8: 7-1-0

EARNINGS - $746,750 (May 2024)

Gr.1 NZ 2000 Guineas

Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes

Gr.2 J&A Sarten Mermorial

Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy

Gr.3 Northland Breeders Stakes