Group 1s on the horizon for ‘Cool’ colt after impressive Dalrello win
Newhaven Park sire Cool Aza Beel’s (Savabeel) strong start to stud life continued when he raised his first stakes winner as Cool Archie took Saturday’s Dalrello Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Martin Harley, the Chris and Corey Munce-trained colt racked up his second win – and back-to-back victories – at his sixth start, as a $4.40 second favourite.
Jumping well from gate six of ten, Cool Archie travelled just behind the leading division and burst through the centre to hit the lead at the 250m. While veering out and then in over the final 100m, he had enough in hand to inflict $2.90 favourite Torque To Be Sure’s (Shamus Award) third second from as many starts, coming home 0.23 lengths ahead of that rival.
In an all-colts finish to the two-year-old feature, Tony Gollan’s Midnight Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) gained a dab of black type in third, at $41.
Cool Archie, who’s also Group 3–placed, is one of four winners from 16 starters for Cool Aza Beel – three in Australia and one across the Tasman.
New Zealand’s Champion 2YO of 2019-20, Cool Aza Beel will stand his fifth season at Newhaven this spring, after serving at an unchanged $16,500 last term. The seven-year-old has also sired Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s stakes-placed colt Cobra Club.
Munce was delighted with the win from his “quiet” colt, adding that while Cool Archie just clung on over Saturday’s 1000m, he’d be set for the $1 million double of the Queensland Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) on May 31 and the JJ Atkins (Gr 1, 1600m) two weeks later.
Cool Archie, who carries the colours of giant owner Max Whitby, firmed from $51 to $26 in the JJ Atkins market following the win.
“He’s the quietest horse,” Munce said. “You could put a child on him and he wouldn’t turn a hair.
“I was a bit surprised to see him in the parade ring bouncing like he was.”
He added: “I’ll tell you what, he’s a tough little horse.
“He was always going to go on that Sires’ and JJ [Atkins] path, so he’ll go to the Spirit Of Boom Classic in two weeks’ time.”
Harley said Cool Archie had again shown great fighting qualities on a good 4 on Saturday, backing up his 1.32-length win in a 1200m Doomben maiden on a heavy 8 at his previous start, a victory that came following his eighth-placed finish in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.
“He pricked his ears and when Torque To Be Sure came alongside him, he got on with it,” Harley said.
“To be honest, every question you ask him he answers.
“I don’t know what it takes to win a JJ but I’d be happy to stay on him for sure.”
Bred by Newhaven, Cool Archie was a $100,000 purchase for Mick Malone Bloodstock from Book 1 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He’s now earned $230,000.
The colt’s the fifth winner from six runners for Aware (Tale Of The Cat), who won three races from six starts, and has also produced city winner Betterletmedance (Better Than Ready).
A sister to Cool Archie was sold by Newhaven at the Gold Coast this year for $60,000, to Patriot Bloodstock and Wattle Bloodstock. The 14-year-old Aware now has a weanling full brother to the pair, and was covered again by Cool Aza Beel last November.