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Dawn Passage secures Stradbroke start with Doomben victory

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott autumn train has rolled towards the winter as Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach) cemented his spot, and favouritism, for next Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) with a commanding win in the Fred Best Classic (Gr 3, 1350m) at Doomben yesterday.

Bringing up a hat-trick of stakes wins, Dawn Passage sat three-wide without cover for most of the trip, chasing the Chris Munce-trained speedster Stampe (Whittington).

As the pacemaker weakened turning into the straight, Dawn Passage found another gear and hit the front with 300 metres to go. Last year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Exhilarates (Snitzel) chased hard to finish three-quarters of a length back in second  for James Cummings, while the Chris Waller-trained Subpoenaed (Rip Van Winkle) flashed home to finish the same margin away back in third. 

The three-year-old colt, who took out the Hawkesbury Guineas (Gr 3, 1400m) and Inglis 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m) at his last two starts before yesterday, will back up in next week’s Queensland feature for which he is now the $5 favourite with the TAB, ahead of defending champion and The Goodwood (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Trekking (Street Cry). 

“It was fantastic to see him carry that form up to Queensland,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told Andrew Bensley. “He’s racing with a lot of confidence at the moment and the horse appears to be going from strength to strength.

“He’s matured and a lot more seasoned in that sense now. He knows what’s required of him, he can put himself in the race now and that’s probably the only thing that was lacking from him 12 months ago when he was taking on the best colts in the land in a race such as the Golden Rose.

“He was probably just leaving himself with too much to do in the run and needing everything to fall his way but now he’s making his own luck, he’s strengthened up a lot and, as I said, just racing with a lot of confidence. 

On whether the colt will handle the short turnaround ahead of next week’s race, Bott said: “I think he can. Particularly at this point of his preparation where he’s had an excellentent build up to this and he should be right at his peak now. 

“We were pretty confident that we would have had to run him today in the Fred Best so we sent him up to Queensland nice and early after his win in the Inglis Guineas. (It was) just to give him plenty of time to get over the trip and settle in and have a nice build up into the Fred Best so that the back-up wouldn’t be as taxing on him. 

“He’s settled in well after the ten days and appears to have pulled up well by all reports and with a nice lead, I’d expect him to come out of that race in great shape. 

“We always had the race (Stradbroke) in the back of our mind without firmly committing. We really gave him the opportunity to get himself there and go through the right path and for us, he’s ticked all the boxes on the way and really deserves his chance to be there. 

“He’s going to need to be at his best stepping up to Group 1 level next start but we’ve got the weight to help us out there and we’re looking forward to the race.”

A maiden victory in the Stradbroke for both Bott and Waterhouse would be the cherry on top of what has been an incredible second half of the season for the training partners.

In 2020, the Tulloch Lodge-based duo have already taken out the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) with Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) with Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt) and both the Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) and Coolmore Legacy (Gr 1, 1600m) with Con Te Partiro (Scat Daddy).

Purchased by Bott, Waterhouse and Blue Sky Bloodstock for $150,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Mill Park Stud, Dawn Passage (3 c Dawn Passage – Raja Lane by Devaraja) has now had ten starts for five wins and two placings, earning $683,150 in prize-money. 

He is one of seven victors out of dual stakes winning mare Raja Lane (Devaraja), making him a half-brother to Group 3 scorer Dinkum Diamond (Keep The Faith), who is also the dam of Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter Graff (Star Witness). 

The son of Dawn Approach (New Approach) is one of three Australian stakes winners for the former Darley shuttler, who now permanently resides at their Kildangan Stud in Ireland, standing for a fee of €10,000 in 2020. 

Related links: Fred Best Classic replay 

 

Black-type win for Waller filly

The Chris Waller-trained September Run (Exceed And Excel) stamped herself as a valuable commodity at Doomben yesterday, adding an all-important black-type victory to her CV in the Bill Carter Stakes (Listed, 1110m).

Ridden by Michael Cahill, the speedy filly led the trip and held off a late charge from Chris Anderson’s Plutocrat (Rich Enuff) to score by a head with Gotta Kiss (Not A Single Doubt) coming home a further neck away in third. 

Waller’s Queensland manager Paul Shailer said the filly had arrived in fine fettle in Queensland after a last-start win at Canterbury in Sydney.

“Chris sent her up here to build up her rating and get some black-type for the spring,” Shailer said.

“Chris has the knack of sending the right horses up here for the right races and the fillies seem to do very well spelling in the Queensland sunshine so she might be one to watch in the future.”

“She will obviously be a nice broodmare later and to get black-type today was a good start.”

Cahill concurred: “She has the makings of a very nice filly.”

September Run was Waller’s first stakes winner of this year’s Queensland carnival, a carnival which he would normally dominate. Due to the reduction in feature events, however, he has had limited runners. 

Purchased by Hermitage Thoroughbreds for $380,000 from leading victorian vendor Blue Gum Farm at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, September Run (2 f Exceed And Excel – Pittsburgh Flyer by Street Cry) has had four starts for two wins, emassing $87,050 in prize-money.

She is the only named foal out of GH Mumm Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) and MSS Security Sprint (Listed, 1100m) winner Pittsburgh Flyer (Street Cry) who herself is out of South African three-time stakes scorer and Group 1 third Warning Zone (Elliodor). 

September Run’s third dam, War Women (Ginistrelli), is also responsible for Norse Woman (Northern Guest), the dam of stakes winners Dance At Daylight (Rambo Dance) and Mr Mickey Mouse (Muhtafal). 

September Run becomes the 170th stakes winner for Darley reverse shuttle sire Exceed And Excel (Danehill), while she is the 12th for the champion stallion this season and his 75th overall juvenile stakes winner.

Exceed And Excel will stand at Darley’s Kelvinside property for a fee of $132,000 (inc GST) in 2020. 

Related links: Bill Carter Stakes replay 

One to six for Waller in Chairman’s Handicap

The success for Waller at Doomben didn’t end with September Run as the champion trainer landed the first six in the Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) later in the day.

Le Juge (Dansili) came home first with a length and a quarter back to Savacool (Savabeel) in second, followed by Another Dollar (Ocean Park) a short half-head away in third.

Alward (Aqlaam) was fourth, Black On Gold (Sebring) fifth and Shraaoh (Sea The Stars) was sixth while Waller’s seventh representative in the field, Brimham Rocks (Fastnet Rock), finished ninth. 

Waller’s Queensland manager Paul Shailer said Le Juge liked Doomben, winning his fourth race at the track yesterday. 

“He had been carrying big weights and he dropped six kilos on his previous run today,” Shailer said.

“Chris spends a lot of time studying races and he felt the horses were all suited here.”

The Waller team looks set to push on into the winter with a race like the Tattersall’s Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) the major target for most of them.

Meanwhile in Sydney, Waller trained the trifecta of the feature race at Rosehill, the Lord Mayors Cup (Listed, 2000m) with wet-track specialist Wu Gok (Sebring) leading the field home by three and three-quarter lengths.

Yulong Prince (Gimmethegreenlight) was second with race omen The Lord Mayor (Rock ‘n’ Pop) a head away in third. 

“We got it right today,” Waller said.

“We are a bit top-heavy with these horses. But I’m reluctant to move them on when they are winning races and earning good prize money for their owners

“A few put their hands up today and said they want to be here a bit longer.”

Wu Gok (6 g Sebring – Lipari by Redoute’s Choice) was purchased for $120,000 by Anton Koolman Bloodstock and Hermitage Thoroughbreds at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Widden Stud. 

Out of the stakes-placed mare Lipari (Redoute’s Choice), Wu Gok is a half-brother to Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Levendi (Pierro) and Group 3 scorer Marcel From Madrid (Sepoy). 

Related links: Chairman’s Handicap replay, Lord Mayors Cup replay 

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