Stoney Bridge's first season stallion Mr. Nancho was represented by his first winner on Saturday when Nacho Man scored at Woodville.

The gelding, trained by Mike and Paul Moroney, had previously given Mr. Nancho his first trial victory when triumphing at Cambridge on October 23rd in which he defeated subsequent race winner She's A Cougar.

Saturday's win also put Nacho Man in line for a possible tilt at the prestigious Karaka Million contest at Ellerslie on January 31st. The gelding is currently 13th in order of selection for the valuable race with $6,250 in earnings.

In Saturday's 1100m contest, Nacho Man emulated the running style of his sire, taking the lead from the outset and burning off his rivals with a relentless gallop under Craig Grylls. Although a half length separated him from second-placed Kallisan - also a trial winner -, Mr Nacho spread-eagled his field, with a further two and a quarter lengths back to the third place runner.

Nacho Man was bred by Stoney Bridge Thoroughbred Ltd out of the winning The Jogger mare El Coriero. The gelding was purchased for $27,000 at the 2009 NZB Festival yearling sale at Karaka, and is a half-brother to the four-year-old winning Shinko King mare China Doll, and the three-year-old Hawkeye filly Mascara who won a trial for Stephen McKee in May 2009.

The Argentine-bred Mr. Nancho did not run as a juvenile himself but more than made up for that when he made his debut at three. He finished second in the Grade 1 Argentine 2,000 Guineas on only his second start, and then blazed away with the Grade 1 Gran Premio de Palermo by an astonishing 16 lengths.

In all, Mr. Nancho won three of his six starts by a cumulative 34 lengths, earning himself the title of champion Argentine miler in 2003-04. In addition, the son of Southern Halo is a full brother to the champion Miss Linda, a prolific Grade 1 winner in both her native Argentina and the US.

Mr. Nancho has proved an understandably popular draw since retiring to stud, and this fact was underlined when a colt by him out of Lucy In The Sky was purchased for $70,000 at the 2009 Ready To Run sale in November.

Seven of his yearlings will be offered at the forthcoming NZB National Yearling Sale series.