Riverstone chasing Flemington milestone with Blandford Baron
Riverstone Lodge will chase a memorable first Flemington winner on Saturday when their promising colt Blandford Baron (Extreme Warrior) lines up in the Inglis Banner (RL, 1000m) on Champions Day.
Trained at Morphettville by Travis Doudle, the colt heads across the border after an eye-catching debut second and a tough maiden win, performances that convinced connections he was ready for a crack at better company.
“Travis has done a great job with him to get him to the races nice and early,” Riverstone co-founder Nick Taylor told ANZ News. “First-up over 900 metres he just got beaten by a pretty smart one, then at his second start he was pretty short in the market and things didn’t quite go to plan.
“He took off early and followed the second favourite, and given the times they ran, he did a really good job to stick on. He was probably entitled to feel the pinch late, but he managed to get the job done.”
Doudle had earmarked the Inglis Banner for Blandford Baron early in his preparation, and Taylor said the colt’s progress has justified the ambition.
“Travis picked this race out some time ago if the colt handled his prep, and he’s done everything right,” Taylor said. “To carry our silks at Flemington for the first time is a big thrill for us, being a new farm.
Jamie Mott takes the ride on the $14 chance, who has drawn barrier two in the 11-horse field.
“Travis couldn’t have him any better. He’s drawn a good gate, he’s got plenty of early speed and race fitness, and I think he’ll take up the running. Obviously, it’s an unknown going up the straight for the first time and there’s a bit of rain around, but he’s fit, ready and well educated. I think he’ll run a really nice race.”
Bred by Barham Racing, Blandford Baron was purchased by Riverstone Lodge and Suman Hedge Bloodstock for $80,000 from the Peppertree Farm draft at the 2024 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. The colt was later secured by Doudle and Hedge for $100,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
By Rosemont Stud’s first-season sire Extreme Warrior (Extreme Choice), Blandford Baron is the first foal out of the winning Zoustar (Northern Meteor) mare Yangarra Rose, herself a daughter of Group 3 winner Vibrant Rouge (Written Tycoon) and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun).
Taylor said Riverstone were always keen to stay in the colt, who impressed them with his physicality and movement from day one.
“He was such a nice style of horse with a great action and presence,” he said. “Being out of a Zoustar mare, he had a lot of that Zoustar look about him.
“The market’s been tricky, and we don’t tend to stay in too many pinhooks, but with him we really believed. Travis and Suman came to us at Classic, and we were happy to team up and stay involved. He was one of only two horses we stayed in all year, the other being Gimcrak Stakes winner Shiki, and so far it’s worked out pretty well.”
Away from the racetrack, Riverstone have made another major move this year, welcoming Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Gr 1, 5f) winner Starlust (Zoustar) as their inaugural stallion for the 2025 breeding season.
“He’s settled in really well,” Taylor said. “He’s put on great condition, he’s a good-looking horse and he’s had fantastic support from the kind of breeders you want early on – people who consistently produce racehorses off their farms.
“He’s covering a nice book, he’s a really good horse in the shed, fertile, and an absolute pleasure to deal with. We couldn’t be happier with how he’s been received.”
As Riverstone continues its rapid rise, Taylor credits teamwork and shared ambition as the key drivers of their early success.
“It’s a big team effort,” he said. “My business partners Alex and Billy, and Suman, we all work closely together and everyone has an opinion. The staff on the farm are fantastic, everyone contributes.
“We’ve had a bit of luck early on, but we’re doing the right things and working hard. Hopefully that luck keeps coming our way.”