The Circus comes to town!
$1,250 online buy stuns rivals with all-the-way Inglis Nursery win on debut
A rags to riches fairytale came true for battling trainer Paul Murray when $1,250 purchase Where’s The Circus (Trapeze Artist) stormed to an all-the-way victory in Saturday’s $400,000 Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) for two-year-olds at Randwick.
Kembla Grange–based Murray – son of the famed late trainer Bede – has 23 horses on his books and hadn’t had a winner since August 5, at Moruya.
But filly Where’s The Circus – whom he bought for that bargain basement price in last year’s Inglis Digital September (Late) Online Sale – brought the stable a windfall in landing $231,000 for winning the Nursery on debut.
She went in as an easing $51 bolter, up against several more vaunted opponents, although she did win her only barrier trial, by 0.5 lengths at Kembla on December 2.
And she was ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, who if not also in the “battler” category is mostly seen on the provincial circuit. That said, he also landed another feature with a longshot on his last visit to Randwick, when Sonofdec (Kermadec) won the $500,000 Four Pillars (1500m) at $19 on November 1.
Jumping from gate four of nine, Where’s The Circus speared straight to the front, finding the rail after 400 metres at a fair clip. Another longshot in Matt Smith’s $20 chance Regal Hustle (Dirty Work) made a challenge from second at the top of the straight, but Murray’s filly dropped her off to snatch what proved a winning break under hands and heels riding.
Pushed out, she scored by 1.16 lengths from Brad Widdup’s fast-finishing $2.70 equal-favourite Internal Affairs (Home Affairs), that colt becoming his much-vaunted sire’s third stakes horse from just nine runners, alongside two winners.
Regal Hustle filled third spot, co-favourite Bohemian Rhapsody (Prague) looked disappointing in eighth, while the Coolmore-Waller $1.2 million colt Vatican (Wootton Bassett) was strong through the line in fifth, hinting more distance would suit.
But the day belonged to the well-named Where’s The Circus – by Trapeze Artist out of Misplaced (Fastnet Rock) – and her emotional trainer Murray.
“I’d never even seen the filly when we bought her but I knew the family and we like buying these cheap ones on Inglis Digital and seeing what we can do with them and here we are, winning a $400,000 Inglis race,’’ Murray said.
“I haven’t really had a decent two-year-old for two or three years now so to have this girl come along and put herself up in lights, it’s exciting for everyone.
“I know she was a big price but we came here with a bit of confidence today, she’s been showing us a bit back home.
“We love Inglis Digital. Who would have thought five years ago that you could buy a yearling online with Inglis and they come out and win a feature race on debut worth $400,000.”
Murray said Where’s The Circus would be immediately spelled, with February’s $2 million Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m) a likely target.
“We’d be mad not to,” said Murray, who also admitted his training business was “getting very hard”.
“I only have a handful of horses. I had to get rid of the older horses and just have one crack at having a go at getting a few nice two-year-olds and it looks like it’s going to pay off.
“I said to Mum [Edie], this is our last crack at it, we’ll buy some two-year-olds this year.
“We’ve worked hard for them, and we might have another few years yet.
“It is a hard game, and for the battlers, so it’s really good. Hopefully she keeps going.”
Van Overmeire, who rode Where’s The Circus in her trial, said he had bitten the bullet to forego a full book of rides at Newcastle for his one mount at Randwick.
“It’s always a bit tricky to do that, give up my provincial rides to come here, especially when I’ve only got one,” said the winning rider.
“But my thinking was, each year this race is not always that strong and the way she trialled the other day, purely on how she felt, I thought it would be worthwhile giving her a test anyway.”
Bred by Trapeze Artist’s (Snitzel) owner-breeder Bert Vieira, and born and raised at that stallion’s home base of Widden Stud, Where’s The Circus continues a strong family connection for Murray and partner Michelle Ritchie, who strapped the filly.
She’s a half-sister to Can’t Find Snippy (Snippetson), who Richie and Murray bought for $14,000 at Inglis Classic in 2015. Ritchie prepared her for three wins and a stakes placing – third in the old Inglis Classic (RL, 1200m) at Randwick in 2016.
The couple also raced another of Misplaced’s winners in Where’s Snippy (Snippetson), a $600 weanling buy who won four country races.
Misplaced died aged 17 in January, but her last foal – a yearling brother to Where’s The Circus – will be offered as Lot 190 at the Inglis Classic Yealing Sale in February.
Where’s The Circus became the eighth stakes winner from 218 runners for Trapeze Artist, who stood this year for $33,000.
Regal Hustle was the first Pink Bonus-eligible runner home in the race, open to horses with at least 75 per cent female ownership. winning her connections an extra $100,000 in prize–money.