Winnasedge earns stakes breakthrough in John Monash

Nick Ryan believes the stars aligned for Winnasedge (Cliff’s Edge) at Caulfield on Saturday, and the Flemington trainer was delighted to see the progressive sprinter earn a deserved breakthrough at stakes level in the feature Sir John Monash Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).

Having resumed with victory over the same course and distance on June 27, the four-year-old backed up in stronger company to land his maiden black-type success, giving Ryan the confidence that there is more to come this campaign.

Ridden by Luke Currie and sent out the $4.40 favourite, Winnasedge settled three-wide just off the speed out of barrier nine and was kept towards the outside off the home bend. Asked for his effort at the 300-metre mark, the gelding launched a strong and sustained run to overhaul the leaders and score by a half-length over a resuming Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), with Sir Now (Sir Prancelot) another 0.2 lengths back in third.

“Last start he drew in and the pattern was in his favour and today he drew wide and the pattern is in his favour again,” Ryan said.

“The stars aligned a little bit but he’s a good horse and got the job done. He’s always been a good little horse. He was placed in a Red Anchor Stakes at three, he ran well in a Tobin Bronze Stakes over in Adelaide.

“He’s always been up to this level, so to do it at weight-for-age was great and it’s great to team up with my great mate Luke Currie, back from America after his holiday and he executed it perfectly the way the track has been playing.”

Currie – who landed the Group 3 on his sole ride of the day – was reunited with Winnasedge for the first time since partnering him to a third-placed finish in the Tobin Bronze Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Morphettville last autumn, with Ryan taking advantage of the jockey’s return from an overseas break after regular rider Ben Allen departed for Europe.

“Early, I thought he was a really nice horse, but he was doing a few things wrong,” said the winning rider.

“Ridden off the speed, he shows a really good turn of foot. I knew he was the first horse and he’d be strong.”

Ryan expects Winnasedge to press on to the Bletchingly Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield on July 25.

“He’ll have a fitness edge,” Ryan said. “He was fourth-up today. He’s fit, 1200 metres will be no issues, so why not?”

Saturday’s victory was the sixth of Winnasedge’s 17-start career and improved his earnings to in excess of $550,000. The son of Cliff’s Edge was bred by Ross Holburt, who races him with partners.

Winnasedge is one of three winners out of the unraced Magnus (Flying Spur) mare Anuddawinna, who has an unraced two-year-old sister to the gelding, aptly named Winna’s Sister. She has since produced a yearling colt and filly foal by Bruckner (Snitzel) and is currently in foal to exciting Rosemont Stud shuttle sire Henry Longfellow (Dubawi).

Winnasedge becomes the first individual stakes winner for Bombora Downs sire Cliff’s Edge, who from just 22 starters has produced 11 winners. The son of Canford Cliffs (Tagula) will stand the upcoming season at his Victorian nursery at a fee of $6,600 (inc GST).

Cruiserweight maintains perfect record with Caulfield victory

Another standout performance at Caulfield came when Lindsay Park’s promising three-year-old Cruiserweight (Hello Youmzain) extended his unbeaten record to three, producing a powerful finishing burst to land the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1400m) and enhance his growing reputation.

Formerly trained in New Zealand as Opetaia, the gelding won his maiden by almost six lengths at New Plymouth on New Year’s Eve before being purchased privately by Lindsay Park and Punt Road Syndications.

He made a successful Australian debut at Swan Hill last month and on Saturday completed a hat-trick of victories with his strongest performance to date under Craig Williams.

Ridden patiently, Cruiserweight settled near the tail of the field and was forced wide approaching the home turn. Despite conceding several lengths at the top of the straight, the son of Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) finished powerfully down the outside to defeat Celtics (I Am Invincible) by a length. Fellow I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) gelding Beechworth was 3.8 lengths adrift in third.

“I rode this horse for the first time at Werribee and loved what I felt,” Williams said.
“He’s still very raw but has really good ability, and it’s going to be exciting to see what path they take with him.”

Co-trainer JD Hayes believes the gelding remains a work in progress despite extending his perfect record to three wins.

“Visually that was very impressive,” Hayes said. “He’s certainly not the finished product. He’s raw and has plenty of upside. He was pretty strong at the end of 1400 metres there, so I think a mile will be no problem.”

Bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan in partnership with Dr Gene Tsoi, Cruiserweight was purchased by his original trainer Allan Sharrock for NZ$40,000 from Leanach Lodge’s draft at Karaka 2024.

He is out of the Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) mare Medal O’Rose, herself a half-sister to Listed winner Al Hasa (Exceed and Excel).

He is one of 18 Australian winners this season for Hello Youmzain, with the son of Kodiac (Danehill) southern hemisphere tally totalling 41 from 87 at 47.1 per cent. He will stand the upcoming season at NZ$20,000 (plus GST).

Angels Fury earns black-type opportunity
Ciaron Maher’s promising juvenile Angels Fury (Harry Angel) is set to be tested at stakes level after making it back-to-back victories with an authoritative performance at Caulfield on Saturday.

The daughter of Harry Angel (Dark Angel), who broke her maiden at Bendigo last month, justified her $1.80 favouritism in the Sportsbet Race Previews Handicap (1100m), travelling strongly under apprentice Jabez Johnston before drawing clear to defeat Portinari (Home Affairs) by 0.8 lengths. Egyptian Dancer (Portland Sky) was a further 3.2 lengths away in third.

National assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said the filly had always shown black-type potential, with the stable’s patience beginning to pay dividends.

“Hopefully she can go beyond that,” Turnbull said. “It’s still very early days and she’s a work in progress, but the way she won was quite appealing and she looked to do it pretty well.

“She’s a lot more tractable now, she’s got a huge action and a lovely way of going and she’s got gears which will go a long way.”

Highly regarded from the outset, Angels Fury was well supported when making her debut in January’s Blue Diamond Preview (Gr 3, 1000m) (F) but failed to feature before being sent for a spell.

Turnbull said the break had allowed the filly to mature both mentally and physically.

“We’ve given her time, she’s filled out and she’s strengthened and if you look at her in the yard, she stands out quite a lot,” he said.

“She’s got all the traits. She’s got speed, she relaxes and she is sound. There’s a lot to like.”

The Quezette Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield on August 15 is among the options under consideration for the filly’s next start.

Angels Fury is the first to race out of winning Headwater (Exceed And Excel) mare Ashra Jahre, herself a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Blazing Miss (Sizzling). She was a $270,000 purchase for Astute Bloodstock out of Bell River Thoroughbreds’ 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.

She is one of 86 Australian winners this season for star shuttler Harry Angel, who will stand the upcoming season at Darley’s Kelvinside at a fee of $88,000 (inc GST).