Ninja leads new-season stars into spring

Image: Ninja (Credit: Sportpix)

Burgeoning star Ninja (Farnan) made an irresistible case for a start in The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) with a powerful first-up victory in Saturday’s Missile Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick.

As Group racing returned to Sydney for the new season, the Michael Freedman-trained four-year-old again showed the qualities that carried him to Group 2 and Group 3 success last summer with his fifth victory from nine starts.

A stand-out performer in the red and black of the MyRacehorse syndicate, Ninja eased to start a $5 second favourite as punters yet again rallied behind the Chris Waller-Yulong sprinter Angel Capital (Harry Angel).

But that now five-year-old stallion proved costly again at $2.20 as Ninja made off with the spoils.

Well ridden by Tommy Berry, the gelding settled fifth of seven in a three-wide line before his rider made a move to reach second spot, one off the fence, by the 700 metre mark, behind a solid tempo set by the bolter Way To The Stars (Reward For Effort).

Berry allowed Ninja to stride to the lead under a hold by the 300 metres, and once he let loose his mount charged to a winning break, and he was always holding off the solid finish of the also-resuming Napoleonic (Wotton Bassett).

Ninja had 1.2 lengths to spare over $9 shot Napoleonic on the line, while Angel Capital made ground from the rear to take third, a further 0.65 lengths away.

Bred by John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, Ninja was bought by Freedman, MyRacehorse, Gandharvi and Belmont Bloodstock for $380,000 from Segenhoe Stud’s draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He’s now earned $1.29 million, with his nine starts also featuring three minor placings.

And far more spoils could lie ahead this spring. Bookmakers wound him in from $26 to $15 for the $20m The Everest at Randwick on October 17.

While Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) dominates that market at $1.50 as he aims for his second straight Everest title, Ninja – now more mature as a spring four-year-old – can be expected to run well, despite having shaped as more of a 1400 metre horse earlier in his career.

“I think any trainer with a half-decent sprinter has dreams of getting to The Everest at this time of year,” Freedman told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

“Look, why not? He seems to have come back in great order. His form really has been so consistent right from the get go. If he can continue to take that next step, then you’ve got to dream big, right?

“He’s just matured so much this horse in the last six months.

“Mentally as much as physically too. He was a bit of a lad as a young horse, and not the most tractable and easy to train. Once we gelded him, and that trip to Queensland (last summer) has done him the world of good. He’s really starting to put it all together now.”

Freedman described Ninja’s performance on Saturday as “terrific”.

“I was a little bit concerned halfway through when Tommy was forced to ride him a little bit further forward than we initially planned, but it was just the way it panned out,” he said.

As for the more immediate future, Ninja looks likely to be tried at a longer trip again in the Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick on August 22.

“I always had in the back of my mind, depending on how he came back today, and how he pulls up more importantly, maybe going to the Winx Stakes in two weeks’ time,” Freedman said.

“I wouldn’t rule that out. I think we can pick our way a little bit now. There’s a couple of nice races in Melbourne, too.

“He’s pretty adaptable, too. So I think if we can plan on keep him to around that six or seven furlong mark, that augurs well for him.”

Berry was equally enthused by what Ninja had shown him after his latest spell.

“He’s just a beautiful horse to ride. He’s come back the finished product now, and we’re pretty excited with what’s to come,” the jockey said.

“His attitude has changed so much, and he doesn’t sweat up like he used to.

“They’re only Group (two) races these ones, but it’s still pretty exciting. He had to be on his A-game to beat some pretty smart ones today.”

Berry said he’d hoped to gain cover early in the race back in the ruck.

“When I didn’t, I just sat and waited and the speed came out of the race so I was able to let him just slide up under his own steam and we were able to get cover anyway,” he said.

Ninja is the fourth foal of Impulsive (So You Think), a city winner of three races from 1350m to 1800m, and a half-sister to no fewer than five stakes winners.

Second dam Procrastinate (Jade Hunter) – herself a Melbourne Group 3 victor – threw Laisserfaire (Danehill), a five-time Group 1 winner in South Africa and that country’s Champion Older Female Sprinter for two seasons running.

Procrastinate also threw the Camilleri-bred dual Group 3 winner A Time For Julia (Redoute’s Choice), plus Listed victors Time Thief (Redoute’s Choice). Foreplay (Danehill) and Personify (Galileo), dam of VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) queen Personal (Fastnet Rock).

Impulsive’s colt by Siyouni (Pivotal) was sold for $400,000 to Busuttin Racing at Inglis Easter this year, from Segenhoe Stud’s draft.

She now has a yearling filly by Anamoe (Street Boss), but missed to his Darley barnmate Harry Angel (Dark Angel) last spring.

Ninja, who’s now won two Group 2s and a Group 3, is one of five stakes winners from 126 runners for Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), who finished third on the Australian second season sires’ table last season.

Farnan will stand for an unchanged $77,000 at Vinery Stud this spring.

Honest sprinter Sir Now (Sir Prancealot) became the first Group winner for veteran trainer Darryl Hewitt and extended the conditioner’s rare good fortune with the progeny of his sire by winning Saturday’s Behemoth Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Morphettville.

Well ridden by Connor Murtagh, the five-year-old atoned for a run of black type frustrations – a Listed third place last winter and another third two starts ago in Caulfield’s John Monash Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) – with his 10th win at start No.27 alongside 10 minor placings.

Jumping from barrier 11 of 13 on a shifting soft 7, Sir Now flew the gates to settle in front, with Murtagh content to stay out wide.

Murtagh went wider still in the straight, with Sir Now virtually brushing the outside rail. That appeared to be where the going was best, and despite three challengers to his inside, Sir Now held them at bay to score by 0.82 lengths as $4.60 favourite.

Will Clarken and Charlotte Sorby’s $6.50 chance Cicala (Tamasa), who also travelled wide from gate 12, took second at $6.50. Lim’s Saltoro (Shamexpress), who moved from Singapore to Pakenham with trainer Dan Meagher, performed well to take third at $15 in his first run in 56 weeks.

It was Hewitt’s first Group success, alongside seven Listed wins, and it continued his fine run with the progeny of Sir Prancealot (Tamayuz).

Formerly standing at South Australia’s Cornerstone Stud, the stallion hasn’t hit the highs that had been hoped for in Australia, and was exported to the USA after the 2022 breeding season.

He’s had six Australian stakes winners – all in Adelaide – and Hewitt has trained two of them, with his other one being Port Adelaide Guineas (Listed, 1800m) victor and Group 3-placed Snoopy Now.

The Murray Bridge trainer bought Sir Now and Snoopy Now privately for a combined “seven or eight thousand dollars”, having sent some of his own – reasonably moderate – mares to Sir Prancealot.

“I’ve put three of my mares to the stallion, at $10,000 each, plus fees,” he told Racing.com.

“So when these two came up on the market I said they’re out of better mares than I’ve sent to him, and I like Sir Prancealot, so I bought them.”

Sir Now has rewarded Hewitt – who races him solely with his partner Julie Preston – by reaping more than $518,000. Snoopy Now has earned $350,000, also from 27 starts.

Hewitt said Sir Now had displayed the benefit of recent uphill work, and the well supported crowd favourite had shown again he could handle all types of going with his third victory from seven starts this campaign, alongside four placings.

“We sent him up the hill last week to get a bit of stamina, because it’s a risk when he comes down he can drop the head and go off,” Hewitt said.

“We had nothing to lose by building a bit of stamina, so he ran a few times up the hill. He really enjoyed it and it’s perked him up a bit.

“It is very good. It’s the first time I’ve had a Group 3 winner, so it’s really special in a way.

“This horse deserves it. You could hear by the crowd he’s a favourite.

“Some didn’t handle the track. This bloke, he’d run through quicksand and it wouldn’t worry him. We were confident he’d run through it.”

Hewitt offered a particular vote of praise for Murtagh, who’s ridden Sir Now 13 times for just two wins and five minor placings.

“I just feel so happy for Connor,” Hewitt said. “Everyone was starting to doubt whether the horse would run for him. But all those (other) races were either (carrying) 63kg, listed races at Flemington, et cetera. 

“He knows the horse good.”

Hewitt said Sir Now might chase more black type in the Wylie Handicap (Listed, 1100m) at Morphettville on September 12, or could go to Kalgoorlie’s $1 million The Golden Saddle (1200m), on October 3.

The trainer said Sir Now had on Saturday answered doubts about his capacity to run out the distance of that slot race at only his second attempt as far as 1200m, following a previous eighth place.

“The concern (with the Golden Saddle) was the 1200 metres (but) he just proved there he could handle it,” Hewitt said. “As long as you control him for the first 600 and let him rip the last six.”

Bred by Cornerstone, Sir Now is the second and best of three foals – all by Sir Prancealot – for the unraced Yamnaka (Fighting Sun).

The 11-year-old mare has endured bad luck in the breeding barn, with no foal since 2022. She was covered by Widden Victoria’s Nicconi (Bianconi) last spring.

Flying stakes-winning mare Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) marked her first run as a four-year-old by stamping herself a spring sprint contender with another powerhouse all-the-way win at Caulfield Heath on Saturday.

The Tom Dabernig-trained bay went into the benchmark 100 event after becoming a black type winner with her breathtaking 4.5 length victory in Morphettville’s Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1050m) for two- and three-year-olds on July 25 as a $2.60 favourite.

While taking on older males in Saturday’s Sweeney Estate Agents Handicap (1000m), she was still sent out the popular elect at $2.80 in a six-horse field, and she didn’t disappoint.

Ridden by Linda Meech, Cavalry Girl held a narrow lead throughout under a tight hold on the outside of Chinqui (Harry Angel). Let go upon straightening, she came away to score by 3.75 lengths in a slick 58.17 seconds on the soft 6 track.

Bred by Patrick Hodgens and Rob Piper of NSW, Cavalry Girl – a $110,000 Inglis Classic purchase by Joe O’Neill’s Prime Thoroughbreds – made it three wins and two seconds from her five starts this campaign, and six wins from 16 starts overall, taking her earnings to almost $400,000.

A delighted O’Neill said the mare would likely be freshened before returning for the spring, potentially in Melbourne Cup week.

The 1050m of her Adelaide victory is Cavalry Girl’s longest distance success to date, and the start before, she faded into a one-length second at Caulfield over 1100m. However, judging by the way she hit the line on Saturday, 1100m would likely not be beyond her as a spring four-year-old.

“We think we might just step back. She’s had a pretty good prep. You can go to the well once too often,” O’Neill told Racing.com.

“She loves the straight at Flemington, so a race there during Melbourne Cup week would be nice.

“We’ll just see, there’s options.”

He added: “She’s a marvel, isn’t she? She’s giving her owners a terrific run.

“She annihilated them the other day. I was a bit worried today against the older horses, but where are they?

“She can only do what she’s doing. She’s winning, and she’s belting them. She’s not just winning; she’s absolutely annihilating them.”

With a perfect record from her one ride of the day, Meech agreed Cavalry Girl could be a spring contender.

“She’s just gone to a new level, hasn’t she?” Meech said.

“She did that really easily. Hopefully going into the spring she can keep matching it with them.

“She really gave me a good quicken in at the top of the straight, and I was like ‘Gee!’

“That was pretty good. She was fantastic. I was really rapt with her. She’s ticking every box at the moment.”

Michael and Luke Cerchi’s $5 hope Along The River (Written Tycoon) took second, with Kelvin Southey’s Bazaball Rewarded (Reward For Effort) third.

Cavalry Girl is the first foal of Islands (I Am Invincible), a two-time NSW provincial winner and a half-sister to 2010 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (Listed, 1200m) queen Military Rose (General Nediym), a quintuple stakes winner.

Military Rose is also the granddam of last season’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) and dual juvenile Group 3 winner Espionage (Zoustar), who’s standing his first season at Lovatsville in Victoria for $11,000.

Islands missed to Shinzo (Snitzel) in 2024 and was covered last season by Stay Inside (Extreme Choice).

Cavalry Girl also kicked off a race-to-race double for Darley’s reigning champion second season sire Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), who also claimed the Drummond Golf Handicap (1600m) with the Danny O’Brien trained Davida.