The little horse that could eyes New Zealand Derby crown for Bidlake

Aaron Bidlake has long held New Zealand Derby aspirations and he will realise that ambition when he treks north with his diminutive gelding, who he bought online for just $1500.

The son of Staphanos, who barely reaches 15 hands, failed to flatter in his first two starts for former trainer Barry Donoghue as a two-year-old, beating just one runner home on debut at Trentham last May before finishing last at Te Rapa a fortnight later.

Tulsa King was subsequently offered on gavelhouse.com, and after some analysis, Bidlake thought he was worth a gamble, and he faced minimal opposition in the online auction, with his $1500 bid securing the gelding, whom he syndicated among family and friends.

“He had two starts up north with Barry Donoghue and didn’t show a lot, but I had looked at his trials and I liked the way he trialled up,” Bidlake said. 

“He was obviously a very small horse, so he didn’t really suit the selling market, so they decided to move him on and we managed to get him for next to nothing.”

While diminutive in stature, Bidlake said Tulsa King had a presence about him from day one, and he thought he had something special on his hands, which was vindicated with a first-up victory at New Plymouth in September, with his $23,000 winning stake more than recouping his purchase price.

Tulsa King secured black-type at Otaki in November when runner-up in an action-packed Group3 Wellington Stakes (1600m).

Bidlake then cast his eye north, lining Tulsa King up at Rotorua before heading to Ellerslie, the home of the Derby, where he proved his Wellington Stakes result was no fluke when filling the same position in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m).

Bidlake elected to remain in the Central Districts for Tulsa King’s final lead-in run, opting to contest last month’s Wairoa Cup (2100m) at Waipukurau, a race C’est La Guerre won on his way to taking out the 2008 edition of the New Zealand Derby.