Darby Racing strike gold at Rosehill
Darby Racing showed they could be set for another major juvenile season when they took the quinella in Saturday’s $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill with Revengeance (Hellbent) and Spicy Miss (Trapeze Artist).
Well ridden by Josh Parr, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt Revengeance sat just off the pace before pushing to the lead at the 200-metre mark and coming away to score by 0.91 lengths as $2.60 favourite.
The Ciaron Maher–trained Spicy Miss had tracked up behind Revengeance and came four wide around the turn, sticking on well to her task to take second at $15.
Revengeance, who ran third in the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m), and debutant Spicy Miss hail from the typical Darby playbook, both being relatively inexpensive purchases.
Darby bought Revengeance for $100,000 from the draft of breeders Davali Thoroughbreds at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, while going to $150,000 to secure Spicy Miss at Magic Millions Gold Coast, sold by Widden Stud on behalf of breeder Bert Vieira.
Revengeance, who signalled a potentially bright future by winning his heat at Sydney’s first official two-year-old barrier trials on September 22, was wound into $11 equal favouritism for the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) after Saturday’s win.
Bott said the $580,000 earned had made the path to the world’s richest juvenile event so much easier.
“We’ll work back from the Slipper as to what that path is,” he told Channel 7. “Whether it’s the Blue Diamond, whether it’s Inglis Millennium, we have a few different lead-up options.
“Whether we go a traditional path, we’ll see what pans out and see what we think is the best way to get him to the Slipper. Obviously he’s got the money now.
“He’s a lovely type. Josh gave him a lovely ride today, and just used that race experience to advantage. He rode the high pressure there, got into a lovely spot just in behind the speed and produced at the right time. He was excellent late, good through the line, and there was a lot to like about that win.”
Bott paid tribute to Scott Darby’s syndications company, whose two-year-old successes include the 2017 Golden Slipper with $20,000 purchase She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain), and last season’s Inglis Banner, Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) and Sweet Embrace Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) with $30,000 buy Within The Law (Lucky Vega).
“They’re incredible at selecting and what they do, and incredible the way they manage their horses,” he said. “They’re an absolutely pleasure and a dream to deal with. They’re very professional in everything they do. It’s an honour to be able to train for them and get nice horses like this in the yard.”
Parr, who also rode Revengeance in the Breeders’ Plate, said the colt would handle the 1200 metres of the Slipper and other races without “a worry at all”.
“Speaking of his ability, I can’t speak highly enough,” he said. “He’s improved each time I’ve sat aboard him now.
“His action seems to be ironing out a little bit. You could see in his first trial, he looked like a kangaroo coming up the straight. But today he flattened out really well and I can’t wait to see him in March [for the Slipper].”
Revengeance is the first foal out of Havasu (Sacred Falls), a half-sister from dual New Zealand Listed winner Halobelle (My Halo) to Miss Federer (Swiss Ace), who won three Listed races and a Group 3, also east of the Tasman.
Havasu now has a yearling filly and a filly foal by Vinery Stud’s $33,000 stallion Exceedance (Exceed And Excel).
Despite being advertised as a Group 3, the Golden Gift does not carry black type status. It is among 18 events Racing NSW announced as having had status upgrades since the start of last season, but whose supposed upgrades have been rejected by international authorities.
NZB has been associated with the Newcastle race every year since its 2021 inception, including in 2024, when it was run for the first time under its subsequently rejected upgrade to Listed, as The New Zealand Bloodstock Beauford.
However, RNSW’s diary shows the event, to be held next Saturday, will be run merely as The Beauford. RNSW still insists it is a Listed event, just as it insists the day’s feature – The Hunter (1300m) – is a Group 2, when in fact neither race has black type status. The same applies to Saturday’s Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill, advertised as “Listed”.
Amid NSW’s ongoing black type shambles, the association of Inglis and NZB with the Golden Gift and The Beauford while they were advertised under their faux new statuses had drawn criticism from certain quarters, considering how fundamental the integrity of the black type pattern is to how sales companies operate.
Since the NSW 18’s supposed upgrades are not recognised by international authorities, they are also not recognised by Arion – the southern hemisphere’s largest supplier of pedigree information – and thus are not reflected in sales catalogues, including at Inglis, NZB, or Magic Millions.