Leica Guv
Encyclopedia
Leica Guv is a thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorse who in a brilliant three year-old season won the New Zealand Derby
New Zealand Derby
The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old, run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held on the first Saturday in March, as the opening day of Auckland Cup Week. From 2009, it was run for a purse of $2.2...

 in 2001. Unfortunately he was never able to match the ability he showed in 2001 in the remainder of his career.

Leica Guv won all of his first six starts on right-handed tracks, and overcame his dislike of running the other way around to run a courageous third to Master Belt in the 2000 Guineas.

After winning his first two races, including the Northland Breeders Stakes at Ruakaka, his problem with left-handed tracks first made itself obvious with his fifth placing as favourite in the Wanganui Guineas, followed by fourth in the Hawke's Bay Guineas
Hawke's Bay Guineas
The Hawke's Bay Guineas is a major Thoroughbred horserace in New Zealand for three year old horses. In 2003 the stake was boosted to $100,000 and the race was moved to the first Saturday in October, meaning that it is run on the same day as the Spring Classic....

. He then made up for those disappointments running his preferred way around with an impressive win in the Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie before heading south for the 2000 Guineas, which was probably one of his best performances.

Back right-handed again, he won three races in a row including the Avondale Guineas and the Derby, the latter of which was a spectacular performance in which he led all the way and was never threatened in cruising away to a three-length victory.

Following the Derby he ran with some credit in Sydney, finishing fourth in the Canterbury Guineas
Canterbury Guineas
The Canterbury Guineas was a thoroughbred horse race held over 1900 metres at set weights for 3 year old horses. The race was held in March each year as part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival at Canterbury Park Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.-Race History:...

, but after that he was unable to recreate anything like his best form, with the exception of a dead-heat for first in the Group 2 Counties Cup of 2003.
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