Frankel investment proving a stunning coup for Evergreen Stud Farm
Two-year-old homebred gelding Converge in good shape for tilt at Group 1 glory in J J Atkins
The immediate future of J J Atkins Plate (Gr 1, 1600m) pre-post favourite Converge will become clearer after this weekend’s $1 million two-year-old race at Eagle Farm but, whatever the outcome, Evergreen Stud Farm’s decision to support northern hemisphere champion Frankel (Galileo) has been proved an inspired move.
Frankel’s son Converge surged to the top of the betting markets for the J J Atkins after a hard-to-miss second in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) last Saturday week, a run which confirmed connections would extend the gelding’s first season of racing into the winter months.
“If he can run up to his past couple of runs obviously he’s in with a big chance. Eagle Farm’s been a bit of, I won’t say a graveyard, but some horses don’t seem to handle it first-up but he seemed to relish it the other day,” said Evergreen Stud Farm’s Tony Bott, who manages the bloodstock interests of Hong Kong owner P K Sui.
“I talk to (son and co-trainer) Adrian regularly and he’s been up and back a couple of times to see the horse (in Queensland).
“Converge hasn’t had a lot of work since the Sires’ as he’s pretty fit through recent racing. He’s had one gallop since then, I think, and they’re just keeping him nice and happy.”
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the homebred Converge defied his breeding to win his first start before the turn of the year, in December at Warwick Farm, before returning in the autumn to finish runner-up in the Baillieu Handicap (Gr 3, 1400m) and win the Fernhill Handicap (Listed, 1600m).
He rounded out his campaign in the ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) when third to Captivant (Capitalist) at Randwick.
He was then spelled at Evergreen Stud Farm at Heatherbrae, near Newcastle, before a late decision was made to target the Queensland Winter Carnival.
Converge, ridden by Tim Clark in the Sires’ last start, was held up in the straight before getting clear late to make up many lengths to run J J Atkins rival Tiger Of Malay (Extreme Choice) to a head.
Being owned by Hong Kong interests the intention was to race him in Asia, but Bott revealed connections remained in a quandary as to whether that was the right option for Converge.
“He’s not a huge horse so, therefore, Hong Kong is maybe a question mark because they carry big weights up there and it is of benefit to be another hand taller,” Bott said.
“However, he is quite solid, so it will depend on how far we think we can stretch him. We will spell him after this run and, if we don’t think he’ll stretch to 2000 metres, well, he might go to Hong Kong, but if not we’ll stay here. If he can get 2000 metres then you might be able to dream of races like Cox Plates.”
How Converge came into Evergreen Stud’s bloodstock portfolio is linked to another mare, Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago), a four-time Group 1 winner, who resides at the NSW property and Bott and P K Sui’s admiration for European champion Frankel.
In 2017, Princess Coup, was sent to the UK to be covered by Frankel and, later aware that the mating was going to produce a filly, Bott was on the lookout for a mare in foal to the Juddmonte stallion to southern hemisphere time carrying a colt, which is how Conversely (Shamardal), the dam of Converge, came on the radar.
“We were looking for a colt to race by Frankel. We had sent Princess Coup over to go to Frankel and we knew she was carrying a filly and this one (Conversely) was available through Coolmore,” Bott said.
“They had sex-tested it, so we knew there was a high chance that she was carrying the colt, so we did a deal with them and purchased her.
“We sold a Churchill as a weanling following the Frankel and we weren’t quite sure what to do with her (she has an Invader weanling colt and is in foal to Divine Prophet) .
“We were waiting to see what Converge could do before we decided what to do with the mare and now that he has gone on and lived up to expectations she will be mated up a little bit.
Converge has certainly lived up to expectations since being broken in.
“I think he’s probably one of the only early two-year-old winners by Frankel out here. Most of the others have been later two-year-olds and three-year-olds, so it took us a little bit by surprise that he showed so much dash straight away, but he is a very forward little horse,” Bott said.
“He’s not a huge horse but he uses himself very well. What you see is what you get. He’s very honest and sound all the time, touch wood, and there’s nothing wrong with him at the moment.”
While Converge is on the precipice of a maiden Group 1 win, the Frankel-Princess Coup mating appears well-founded, too, judging by the resulting filly’s performance at Flemington on Saturday.
Named Argentia, the two-year-old was bought by agent James Harron, who was acting for Fairway Thoroughbreds’ John Camilleri, for $670,000 at last year’s virtual Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Now trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, she was able to come from worse-than-midfield to score by one and three-quarter lengths, defeating Viviane (Written Tycoon) and Invincible Caviar (I Am Invincible), a daughter of Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), over 1100 metres against her own sex.
“The way she is bred, you would expect she’s going to be a mile to 2000-metre type at a minimum,” Bott said of Argentia yesterday.
“The mother raced up to Caulfield Cup distances and she’s a four-time Group 1 winner, so she’s regally bred. I must admit I was quite impressed with the way she put them away over that distance, but there were always huge wraps on her.
“I was listening to (form analyst) Deane Lester on the radio this morning and he rated her the best of the Melbourne two-year-old fillies this year, which is interesting.”
Princess Coup has an I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) weanling filly, who is likely to be offered to the market next year by Evergreen Stud Farm and she is due to foal to Dundeel (High Chaparral) in September.
Bott revealed he would need to make mating plans in the next week for Conversely and Princess Coup, in particular, “as time is marching on” ahead of the 2021 breeding season.
I Am Invincible is a possibility for Princess Coup but the picture is less clear for Conversely.
“We’ve only just finished the round of sales and we were waiting to see what the perception of the marketplace was and also to see what is doing well in the final Group races of the season,” he said of not yet having booked the two prized mares in.
“Some of the stallion fees have just been announced and some of the good ones have taken a fair hike from last year, so it is a little bit of a conundrum at this stage.”