Captain Amelia (AUS)
Captain Amelia (AUS)
2 f Dundeel – Courageous Kitty by Fastnet Rock
O: Mystery Downs, M D Sullivan, J E Abrahams Pty Ltd, Mrs C M Cook, Werrett Bloodstock Pty Ltd, D Dickson, W Duck Pty Ltd, Salter Pastoral Company, Carpe Diem & Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd
B: Grant Bloodstock and Carpe Diem Asset Management
T: John O’Shea
S: 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale V: Silverdale Farm P: John O’Shea Racing Pty Ltd, $160,000
W: Maiden handicap, 1000m, March 8, Randwick-Kensington
An immediate step up in class for a tilt at the Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick on April 8 is on the agenda for the John O’Shea-trained Captain Amelia (Dundeel) after she made a winning debut in a 1000-metre maiden handicap at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday.
Having finished a promising fifth in a 760-metre trial at Hawkesbury last month, the juvenile daughter of Dundeel (High Chaparral) was sent off a $3.50 chance under James McDonald and stuck on well down the home straight to overhaul Gold Lover (Sooboog) by a length, with Saikono (Maurice) a further head back in third place.
“I’ll have to hand my tipping licence in as I thought they would be too sharp for her over 1000 metres,” O’Shea said.
“The one thing I have learned is good horses do good things at their first start, irrespective of what you think.
“There is no doubting her class. We have always thought highly of her, but you can see that she wobbled around the turn, didn’t know quite what to do
“It was a great ride by James [McDonald]. Teaching her at her first start. He had her in a lovely spot and executed well. She has a bright future.
“We will make an assessment, but ideally, we would like to end up in a Percy Sykes [Stakes].”
Bred by Grant Bloodstock and Carpe Diem Asset Management, Captain Amelia was a $160,000 purchase for her trainer from the Silverdale Farm draft at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
The third foal out of the unraced Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Courageous Kitty, Captain Amelia is a half-sister to the stakes-placed multiple winner Intrepidacious (Shooting To Win).
A sister to the three-time Group 2 winner Anaheed and a half-sister to Listed winner Farooq (Frankel), Courageous Kitty is a daughter of the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Rostova (Testa Rossa). She was covered by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) last spring.