Robbie Patterson had his sights set on the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) for One Bold Cat, but the gelding showed he can be just as impressive at a mile with a powerful victory in Wednesday’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata.
One Bold Cat burst onto the scene with a decisive win in the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) last November, and he continued to feature prominently in the top-flight staying contests, placing behind Legarto and Campionessa in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).
Returning as a six-year-old, the son of The Bold One showed positive signs finishing into third over 1200m in August before a string of abandonments, firstly at New Plymouth and then last Saturday's Arrowfield meeting at Hastings. Patterson was hopeful his work behind the scenes would prove enough to feature in the Group One contest.
Any question of that was firmly put to rest, with One Bold Cat jumping positively from barrier four before settling in the second half of the field under Ryan Elliot. As the field turned for home, $2.90 race favourite Skew Wiff pounced to the lead and maintained that position for much of the home straight, before the bounding strides of One Bold Cat came chasing and caught the mare just short of the line, with the final margin a long head.
South Islanders Matscot and Lightning Jack, who paid $41 and $77 respectively on the tote, put in huge performances to fill the first four, less than a length behind One Bold Cat.
25-year-old Elliot collected his 12th Group One victory in the race, but admitted he hadn't been full of confidence during the mid-stages.
"I don't really know the horse but he's such a laidback character that I was thinking bloody hell, but he tracked up beautifully and we got the right split. To pick up that horse (Skew Wiff), it was a good effort," Elliot said.
"It's a credit to Robbie Patterson, he travels the horses to Hastings and he's had to travel back up here to Matamata, it shows the training effort that goes into these horses to be able to cop the trip, then come out and do that.
"He's going to step-up and go from there, but hopefully Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) doesn't pop on and Robbie keeps me on (for the Livamol)."
New Plymouth-based Patterson had an outstanding 2023/24 season, earning him a nomination for Trainer of the Year, and a lot of that success he credits to Eddie Bourke, co-owner and breeder of One Bold Cat.
"It's pretty big, it means a lot because Eddie puts a lot into this business and we were only getting ready for the Livamol," he said.
"Where he's come from, he dug in and he's a serious horse. A few of the scribes call him a b-grader, but he's not.
"The Bold One's take time, even in the Herbie Dyke he's only run a length and a half from Legarto, and he's had bad draws. It didn't matter with the good draw today as he still got back, but with a lot of tempo, he's just a good horse.
"I could see him travelling around the top and Ryan rode him beautifully, they spread and he just popped through. He didn't look like he was going to get there, it was a good effort to get over the top of them really.
"It might be (Group One) number five, it's good to get one this early in the season."
The Bold One, who stands at Grangewilliam Stud in Waitotara, earned his first Group One winner as a sire in the race, much to the delight of his co-owner in Bourke.
"Unbelievable, we didn't really set him (One Bold Cat) for this race and we thought the Livamol would be his go," Bourke said post-race.
"The stallion is the most underrated, I think, in New Zealand. I was just talking to Garry Chittick from Waikato Stud, and he sort of agreed with me.
"I'm rapt, Robbie as a trainer, the track riders back home, the stable hands, the vet, the farrier, they're all great people. They make this sort of day happen."
Out of two-win mare Floozie Cat, One Bold Cat has won eight of his 18 starts and more than $540,000 in stakes earnings.
