Express secures place at stud with impressive Orr success
Moroney hopes son of Redoute’s Choice can stand in New Zealand but is conscious money talks
Paul Moroney, who identified yesterday’s impressive C F Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) as a yearling, believes the three-year-old is the stallion prospect New Zealand desperately needs.
But the bloodstock agent admits Alabama Express, who is trained by his brother Mike, may go beyond the price reach of his home country’s leading studs if the colt continues his rapid progression throughout the campaign.
Owned by a syndicate that includes Arrowfield Stud, Alabama Express – a Listed winner in October who landed a Flemington handicap on his return last month – increased his value exponentially with a first Group 1 success in yesterday’s $500,000 feature at Caulfield.
“Before we bought him, if he made the reserve and we got him, Arrowfield said they would keep a leg,” Paul Moroney told ANZ Bloodstock News of the colt he picked up for $280,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2018.
“They honoured their agreement and they are now in the driving seat as far as a stallion career is concerned. Whether they need another son of Redoute’s Choice, who knows? They probably can’t get enough of them.
“Personally, I would like to see him stand in New Zealand. I think he’s ideal for New Zealand right now and I’d love to put a partnership together and get him there and include Arrowfield in it.”
Commenting on the suitability of Alabama Express for New Zealand, Moroney added: “John Messara (Arrowfield Stud principal and author of the Messara Report) has been a backer of the New Zealand industry recently and the industry at home is struggling a little bit.
“A cracking colt like this would do the New Zealanders the world of good. But the numbers are big – he’s worth a lot of money after today – and it’s just whether New Zealand can weather the storm of standing a colt like him.”
Ridden by Michael Dee, $11 chance Alabama Express came with a sustained late surge down the outside of the 12-runner field to fend off Fierce Impact (Deep Impact) by a long-neck, with a further short-head back to Kings Will Dream (Casamento) in third.
Scales Of Justice (Not A Single Doubt), who returned to the $2.80 favourite, eventually finished sixth having enjoyed a box-seat challenge on the turn for home, while fifth-placed Avilius (Pivotal) made eye-catching late headway having been left with plenty to do.
A jubilant Paul Moroney made comparisons with Alabama Express’ sire, late Arrowfield flagbearer Redoute’s Choice (Danehill), when discussing why the colt was so highly-prized as a youngster.
“He was almost a mirror-image of his dad. He had so much quality about him and, to be fair, we were actually quite surprised we could buy him,” Moroney said.
“He clearly escaped a few other people at the sale – we thought he was our number one colt and we were hell-bent on getting him, if he could fit into the right price range.”
“We thought at $280,000 he was a very good buy. We thought we got him for unders and we were quite surprised.”
Having described yesterday’s success as a ‘huge thrill’, Moroney believes the future is bright for Alabama Express.
“I’d be very surprised if there isn’t (more to come),” he said. “He’s very lightly–raced and he’s untapped at this stage, really.
“He’s improved as he’s got older, but then again he had that setback (hock surgery) he had to get over, so his career was held-up.
“It’s all ahead of him now and he’s proven today he’s right up there with the best current older horses at weight-for-age, at least in Victoria – and some of the opposition came from other parts of Australia.
“So it’s onwards and upwards. He’s a very talented horse from anywhere between 1100 metres to 1600 metres. He had the toughest run in the race today and I think it’s a credit to his ability that he saw it out and forged to the line and held on.”
Alabama Express (3 c Redoute’s Choice – Lago Ovation by Encosta de Lago) has now won four of his seven starts for prize-money of $534,750.
In winning yesterday, he became the 37th individual Group 1 scorer for Redoute’s Choice, who was euthanized last March at the age of 22.
Alabama Express is one of four named foals, three of whom have raced and all of whom have won out of Lago Ovation, a once-raced daughter of Encosta de Lago (Fairy King) who herself is a half-sister to the Group 2-placed Rekindled Power (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3 runner-up Shuffle Up (Redoute’s Choice).
Alabama Express’ second dam, Rekindled Applause (Royal Applause), was Listed-placed in Italy, while this is the family of four-time Hong Kong Group 1 winner Designs On Rome (Holy Roman Emperor).
Anaheed impresses in Rubiton return
Anaheed (Fastnet Rock) paid further credence to the quality of the three-year-old crop by setting herself up for a tilt at the Oakleigh Plate with a first-up success in the Rubiton Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) earlier on the Caulfield card.
Last seen running third behind star filly Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) in the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) having taken out the Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) in April, $2.90 favourite Anaheed enjoyed the perfect sit under Tim Clark, tracking long-time pacesetter Sartorial Splendor (Brazen Beau) before quickening clear at the 200-metre marker.
Bold Star (Needs Further) finished well to grab a never-nearer second, beaten a length and a quarter, with All Too Royal (All Too Hard) a further half a length back in third. However, this result was settled quickly by the daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill), who shortened into the TAB’s $5 third–favourite for the $500,000 Oakleigh Plate – run over the same track and distance on February 22.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Anaheed joins exalted company regarding the Rubiton’s recent roll of honour, with Nature Strip (Nicconi) having landed the spoils last year, while Chautauqua (Encosta de Lago) was successful in 2015 and Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice) 12 months prior.
Peter Snowden cut a delighted figure in the post-race debrief and expects plenty of improvement from the three-year-old moving forward.
“I was really surprised how well she won – she was coming in off one trial and a really soft trial at that,” Snowden said.
“I was thinking she was maybe not quite as forward as I hoped she would be but she showed her real class today.
“She was probably only 90 per cent there and she still won, so I’m really happy. She’ll definitely improve off that run.”
Looking ahead to the Oakleigh Plate, Snowden added: “She gets nothing on her back and she would have to be a lightweight chance in a race like that.”
A Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum home-bred, Anaheed (3 f Fastnet Rock – Rostova by Testa Rossa) has now won five of her 12 starts, placing on another two occasions, for prize-money of $1,488,650.
A half-sister to the Listed-placed Farooq (Frankel), Anaheed is one of six named foals, four of whom have raced and three of whom have won out of Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Rostova (Testa Rossa), who finished third in the 2010 renewal of the Rubiton Stakes, then run as a Group 3.
Rostova is herself a half-sister to the dam of Mystic Master (Snippetson), who was a Listed winner in Singapore.
Since foaling Anaheed, Rostova has produced the unraced Epic Deal (Medaglia d’Oro), missed to Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) in 2018, delivered a sister to Anaheed last year and was subsequently served by Pierro (Lonhro).
Shark sizzles in BCD Group Sprint
Three Group 1 races during the Sydney autumn carnival await high-profile New Zealand banner horse Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) who yesterday produced a dominant first-up performance in the BCD Group Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) at Te Rapa, his first victory at the highest level.
Trainer Jamie Richards now plans to avenge a “what could have been” Australian spring campaign in which Te Akau Shark was runner-up in the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) and third in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
He has earmarked the Chipping Norton Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on February 29, the George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m) on March 21 and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) on April 11 for Te Akau Shark’s immediate future.
The five-year-old gelding came from at least six lengths off the lead turning for home to collar The Mitigator (Master Of Design) and score by two and three-quarter lengths with a withering closing sectional.
The in-form Kiwi Ida (Squamosa), who was aiming for a fourth successive win, was a further three–quarters of a length away in third.
“I watched it live and didn’t really see the hustle and bustle,” Richards said.
“When they straightened and he changed legs and exploded I thought that was pretty good.
“He’s the best we’ve had I think and he will go to Australia now and be competitive in whatever we run him in, so we’re really looking forward to it.”
Jockey Opie Bosson, Te Akau’s number one rider, was left in awe of Te Akau Shark after his first-up performance.
“I’m so happy for him as the monkey is off his back now and there are plenty more Group 1s to come for him,” Bosson said.
“I hit a little bit of a flat spot turning in but once he changed legs, I thought wow, what a turn of foot, and I had a heap of horse under me.
“It’s exciting as I didn’t knock him around and the improvement that will be in him will make him a horse to watch out for.
“He is right up there with the best I’ve ridden.”
Te Akau Shark had not raced since his Cox Plate performance last October, with Richards indicating the gelding had returned in great order this campaign.
His confidence was boosted after a stirring exhibition gallop on Karaka Million night at Ellerslie on January 25.
“He’s a naturally fit horse and doesn’t take a lot,” Richards said.
“He was pretty ready for today and we know what he is capable of.
“I’m really looking forward to getting him back to Australia and to knock off one of those good races as I really think he deserves one.”
Te Akau Shark (5 g Rip Van Winkle – Bak Da Chief by Chief Bearhart), who was bought by David Ellis for NZ$230,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs, has won six of his 11 starts and prize-money of NZ$1,014,468.
He is the best-performed and first stakes winner from three to race for the Group 2 scorer Bak Da Chief, who is a half-sister to Bak Da Princess (Danske), herself the mother of Pondarosa Miss (High Chaparral) and Ecuador (High Chaparral).
Bak Da Chief has a yearling colt by Redwood (High Chaparral), who is catalogued as Lot 343, https://inglis.com.au/sales/info/2020+Australian+Easter+Yearling+Sale/catalogue/34 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and was in to foal to Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) last year.
No heartbreak this year for Herbie Dyke Stakes winner Tiptronic
There were more than a few nervous moments for connections but their fears were allayed when the judge yesterday determined that Tiptronic (O’Reilly) had won the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), a year after being denied in the same race.
Trainer Graham Richardson admitted he thought Tiptronic had been beaten again after finishing behind On The Rocks (Alamosa) in 2019, but thankfully for the trainer the photo finish went the way of the Jason Waddell-ridden gelding.
Tiptronic defeated the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained True Enough (Nom Du Jeu) by a nose, with race favourite Rock On Wood (Redwood) a further half a length away in third.
“I’m just really proud of him as the horse deserved it,” Richardson said.
“He’s always been the underdog so it’s a perfect result.
“Actually, I thought he had run second again but it was a great ride by Jason as he worked it out.
“I couldn’t be happier for the owners and especially for the horse.”
Richardson was delighted with how the six-year-old has bounced back to his best this season after his form had plateaued following last year’s Herbie Dyke Stakes.
“He was just growing and had had a couple of hard runs,” he said.
“He’s just so casual about things and takes it all in, but sometimes they go through a season like that and need a good break before they come back.
“I don’t know what’s next for him but if we can keep fresh legs in him then we will be happy.”
Richardson is now considering a start in the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Ellerslie on March 7, but wants to ensure that Tiptronic has recovered from his maiden Group 1 victory before committing to a start.
Waddell was understandably delighted to ride a Group 1 winner.
“Congratulations to Graham and Rogan Norvall (assistant trainer) and their whole team, as the horses are prepared magnificently and trained right down to the second,” Waddell said.
“I got into a lovely spot, right where I wanted to be, and geez, we had a good battle down the straight and it’s not often you out-tough one of Murray’s (Baker), so I’ll take great pleasure in doing that.”
A NZ$100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale purchase by Richardson, Tiptronic (6 g O’Reilly – Tiptoes by Pins) is the 15th Group 1 winner and 95th individual stakes winner for the late Waikato Stud sire O’Reilly (Last Tycoon). The six-year-old has now won six races from 30 starts for prize-money earnings of NZ$492,700.
Out of Tiptoes, he is one of four winners for the Pins (Snippets) mare, who is the sister to dual Group 1 winner Legs, herself the dam of stakes winner Wolfwhistle (O’Reilly), and a half-sister to WATC Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Guyno (O’Reilly).
Tiptoes was in foal to Sacred Falls (O’Reilly) last year.