Blueblood colts primed to extend Godolphin’s purple patch
Paul Symes
ANZ News
With Godolphin Australia currently riding the crest of a wave, managing director Andy Makiv is hopeful a trio of blueblood colts can ensure another red-letter day for the racing and breeding behemoth when the curtain is raised on the acclaimed Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington this coming Saturday.
Buoyed by Godolphin’s triple stakes success last weekend and by the seamless transition to a public training model in the wake of James Cummings’ impending departure to Hong Kong, Makiv and his right-hand man Jason Walsh are determined to maintain their team’s momentum heading into one of the biggest days on the Australian racing calendar.
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Ever the traditionalist, Makiv will adhere to the black-and-white dress code on Derby Day but out on Flemington’s pristine pastures, Godolphin’s royal blue silks are likely to feature prominently with Observer (Ghaiyyath) currently the short-priced favourite for the three-year-old staying classic, while Beiwacht (Bivouac) and Tentyris (Street Boss) are the two market leaders for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
With the ever-present need for speed pervading the Australian breeding industry, victory for either colt in the Coolmore would guarantee their place on Darley’s stallion roster alongside their famous fathers and other titans of the turf.
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Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winners, in contrast, are perhaps less in demand in the breeding barn; but putting the purely commercial aspect to one side, Makiv would derive just as much personal pleasure should Observer register a first Group 1 win for his sire – especially as he played a role in the decision to bring Ghaiyyath (Dubawi) out to Darley’s Northwood Park.
Observer would arguably already have made his top-tier breakthrough with a more favourable run in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), but the colt went some way towards banishing that disappointment when he toyed with his rivals in the Moonee Valley Vase (Gr 2, 2040m) on Saturday.
The half-length margin of defeat certainly flattered his opponents – Mark Zahra departed the racecourse $1,500 worse off after being fined for easing his mount down a long way from home – but the in-form jockey was probably content to cop the hit to his pocket if it preserved some of Observer’s energy for Saturday’s test of stamina.
According to Makiv, the seven-day back-up should pose no problems – particularly in light of Ciaron Maher’s mastery with staying horses – and provided he comes through Wednesday’s barrier draw unscathed, Observer would appear to have a clear class edge on the field.
“We’ve long hoped that he was our Derby horse and he’s shown every sign that he would be, so we head into the big race with a great deal of confidence,” said Makiv, who also gave a good push for Team McEvoy’s Derby contender Options (Impending).
“Observer is a very nice horse and we’ve always held him in high regard, so it was really satisfying to see him get his first stakes win on Saturday. Mark [Zahra] was obviously aware of the fact he would be backing up in the Derby seven days later, so he looked after him late. He came through the run particularly well and he’s a big robust colt, so we think he will handle the quick back-up no issue.
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“He’s by a dominant staying horse in Ghaiyyath, so we have every confidence that he will run out the trip. To have a live chance in the Derby was the reason we brought Ghaiyyath out here in the first place. We wanted to have more runners in the Derby and the Oaks because we didn’t feel we were competing as well in those races as we would’ve liked. He was a world-class stayer so we were keen to use him extensively in Australia.
“It would be a significant moment for the team there who stood Ghaiyyath if this horse could become his sire’s first Group 1 winner. These good racehorses aren’t an overnight success, they’re sometimes five or six years in the making depending on the female line, so lots of people working for Godolphin Australia have their fingerprints on this colt.
“To head into one of the biggest days on the calendar with the favourite for the Derby and the Coolmore is testament to all their hard work and planning. We’re now just nervously waiting and hoping one or two of them can deliver on the day.”
“Bivouac was terrific down the Flemington straight, his two wins in the Newmarket and the Darley Sprint were just phenomenal. So if he’s passed that ability onto Beiwacht, look out on Saturday
A glance at the roll call of winning trainers should help ease any nerves ahead of the Coolmore, with the name of Chris Waller – who prepares Beiwacht – adorning the trophy on no fewer than six occasions.
Given that he broke the track record en route to winning the Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) with a display of sustained speed, in the process delivering a first Group 1 win for his sire Bivouac (Exceed And Excel), Beiwacht was afforded a brief freshen-up before Waller began the meticulous planning for which he is renowned.
After expending some energy in a trial at Rosehill, the colt was sent south to Waller’s satellite stables at Flemington and after settling into his new surroundings, he embarked on an exploratory expedition down the straight late last week.
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If Beiwacht has inherited any of his father’s straight track prowess, expect his first foray to Melbourne to cement his status as one of the most accomplished three-year-olds in the land.
“Chris was very pleased with Beiwacht’s hit-out at Flemington,” said Makiv.
“The Golden Rose feels like a long time ago now, but we immediately targeted the Coolmore after his dominant win in that race. His trainer has got a phenomenal record in the Coolmore, so we were only too happy to go with his recommendation. Chris didn’t want to give him another run before the race, so instead he trialled in Sydney then we brought him down to Melbourne and had a good look at the straight.
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“Bivouac was terrific down the Flemington straight, his two wins in the Newmarket and the Darley Sprint were just phenomenal. So if he’s passed that ability onto Beiwacht, look out on Saturday.”
Should the straight track bring Beiwacht undone, however, Tentyris could be the chief beneficiary as the dynamic last-start Gothic Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner aims to achieve a first in the Coolmore for both his sire Street Boss (Street Cry) and the training team of Anthony and Sam Freedman.
There certainly seems to be a sense of timing about Tentyris, who resumes his fruitful association with Zahra while Adam Hyeronimus will make the trip from Sydney to partner Beiwacht.
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“Tentyris has got an extraordinary turn of foot, which we first saw in the Blue Diamond when he just missed out,” Makiv told ANZ news.
“His win in the Todman was outstanding and we saw him explode in the Gothic Stakes, so he’s got all the credentials of being a Group 1 star in waiting. He’s got straight talk experience and he’s been prepared beautifully by the Freedmans, so if turns up on Saturday he will be right in the mix.
“We’ll have one colt right on speed in Beiwacht and then the other one will probably be out the back and finishing off strong late, so hopefully we’ve got all bases covered. Given its history of producing top class stallions, the Coolmore is obviously a very important race for us to target with our colts every year. It’s one of the main reasons why we elected to run Tempted in our slot in the Everest and take the two colts on a path to the Coolmore, because recent history tells you it’s very difficult to run a horse in both.”
The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) runner-up Tempted (Street Boss) – whose primary aim in the autumn is the Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) – is currently enjoying a holiday in one of the lush paddocks at Darley’s spacious farm in the Hunter Valley, where she will shortly be joined by both Attica (Lonhro) and Ohope (I Am Invincible) following their heroics at Randwick last Saturday.
As the first foal produced by multiple stakes winner Savatiano (Street Cry), plenty was expected of Attica and the colt has delivered in spades in his first racing preparation, culminating in a 14th Group 1 success for his late sire in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
With trainer Joe Pride nominating the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) among a veritable feast of options for the colt in the autumn, he might even replace the award-winning Melbourne restaurant as the most famous Attica in the country.
“Jason [Walsh] has had a very high opinion of the colt right from the start,” said Makiv.
“He’d shown a fair bit of promise as a two-year-old, and we thought he would really suit a trainer like Joe Pride. From early on, he gave Joe the impression that he would enjoy getting out over a mile and further, his pedigree didn’t necessarily suggest that but his physical attributes certainly did. The Spring Champion was his target race from a long way out, and it was very satisfying to see that long-range plan come off.
“Hopefully he can be the next Ceolwulf in Joe’s stable. He’s on his way to the paddock, the way the calendar is now the Spring Champion is run much deeper into the spring, which makes it very difficult to bring the horse down to Melbourne for the Derby. I’m not convinced he would get the Derby trip in any case, because I think 2000 metres probably sees him out. So it was a pretty easy decision to spell him now and get him ready for the autumn.
“He’s impeccably bred from a great family, so if he could add a race like the Randwick Guineas to his resumé then he would surely make his way onto Darley’s stallion roster. That’s our business model, trying to win Group 1 races with well-bred colts is what we’re about so it was a very important day for him and for the whole operation.”
