‘I think he’s the quality horse in the race and his trackwork’s been pretty hot’
Sydney’s most coveted jockey change could prove the right move in securing Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) his first Australian-born black type winner when Coolmore-Westerberg colt State Visit contests Saturday’s Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
State Visit, the first foal of Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice), has been ridden by Jason Collett in all three starts: a Canterbury 1250-metre maiden win on debut in late February; a 3.77–length third in the Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and a 0.21–length second in the Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
Collett is having perhaps his finest season, with a career-best 14 stakes winners so far and sitting third in the Sydney premiership, and with a common phrase among the city’s trainers being that in terms of senior riders he’s the next best option if you can’t book James McDonald.
But that’s exactly what trainer Ciaron Maher has done, with McDonald slipping aboard State Visit for the Champagne.
It’s a booking which underscores the need for everything to go right for the colt to prevail. He has the widest gate of 12, and some doubt remains about his capacity to run out a strong 1600 metres at this stage of his career.
Still, Maher is confident State Visit, who has charged home from the rear in each of his races, will be afforded the best opportunity to pull off what could be a Group 1 success earlier than expectations, considering he’s tipped to develop into a better three-year-old.
“I’m very happy with him,” Maher told ANZ Bloodstock News. “He’s improved with each run, and he’s in good order.
“I’m very confident with him. I think he’s the quality horse in the race and his trackwork’s been pretty hot.
“I just think he’ll need to be ridden economically for the mile. He’ll need to be ridden the right way.”
Maher said this would likely again mean riding the colt from the back, especially from his wide gate. A decent pace looks possible to help his chances at the finish, with three probable front-runners in the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Bellazaine (Zousain), Nick Olive’s last-start all-the-way Fernhill Stakes (Listed, 1600m) winner Spicy Lu (Tagaloa), and John Sargent’s Lady Pankhurst (Capitalist).
State Visit settled seventh of ten in the Sires’, and while he appeared a strong winning chance when coming down the outside at the 200 metres, he slightly peaked on his run while Vinrock (I Am Invincible) plotted an inside course to deny him by 0.21 lengths.
“Obviously it was a big run. I think if Jason had his time again he might have just waited that little bit longer before letting him go, but that’s hindsight stuff,” said Maher, at pains to not be critical of Collett.
“Jase has ridden him quite well, but James [McDonald] is absolutely airborne.”
McDonald comes into the last day of Randwick’s autumn carnival off a Group 1 double last Saturday, winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) on Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on Fangirl (Sebring), as well as the Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) aboard Tempted (Street Boss).
State Visit was retained to race by Coolmore, whose Australian boss Tom Magnier bought Bob Peters’ West Australian star mare Celebrity Queen for $2.5 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in 2021, after she’d dead-heated for first with Portland Sky (Deep Field) in the Oakleigh Plate at her penultimate start.
Her colt second foal by Pierro (Lonhro) fetched $1.1 million at this month’s Inglis Easter sale, sold by Coolmore to Byerley Bloodstock, while she now has a weanling colt by Justify (Scat Daddy) and was covered again by Wootton Bassett last spring.
Maher said State Visit relished being prepared at his rural training complex at Bong Bong in the Southern Highlands, and would spell after Saturday to hopefully benefit from more physical development ahead of a spring campaign likely targeting the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
“He’s got a beautiful temperament, and he’s really thrived out there at Bong Bong. We just bring him into town a day or two before his races,” Maher said.
“He’s a horse that you can see has got a lot of furnishing to do and I think that environment helps in being able to hold that condition on him.”
Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett has launched with a bang through his first Australian-bred runners. He sits second on the first-season sires’ table, and third on the two-year-old charts with his flag flown, aside from State Visit, by colts including Wodeton, Gallo Nero and West Of Swindon, and the filly Wiltshire Square.
But while all of those runners have been stakes placed, State Visit has a chance on Saturday to become the 16-year-old stallion’s first Australian-bred black type winner – and at the top level.
Maher said while State Visit would likely come back a better three-year-old, this was not necessarily the case with Wootton Bassett’s stock.
“From what I’ve had to do with them at our stable, the Wootton Bassetts seem to be straightforward,” he said.
“State Visit will definitely be better as a three-year-old, but I’d say it’s case by case.
“You look at Wodeton running second in the Golden Slipper – he looks ready-made now, but he has the frame and size and scope to certainly train on.
“Our horse, hopefully he can tick off a Group 1 win and then we put him away and I’m sure he’ll be an even better three-year-old.”
Bookmakers on Friday had State Visit on the third line of betting for the Champagne at $6.50. Team Hawkes’s Nepotism (Brutal) headed the market at $4.50 as he seeks back-to-back victories after becoming the second stakes winner for Newgate Farm’s second-season stallion Brutal (O’Reilly) in Rosehill’s Baillieu (Gr 3, 1400m).
Maher named his hardest to beat as Within The Law (Lucky Vega), from the surging Bjorn Baker stable. The filly was a $5.50 second favourite as she strives to add a fourth win at her seventh start, after losing her rider – Collett – in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m), and running a fair third in the Percy Sykes.
Collett will ride $6.50 shot Buffalo (Written By) in his bid to become a first Group 1 winner for Newcastle trainer David Atkins. Collett partnered him in three starts, including for a Newcastle maiden win, before the visiting Zac Purton rode him in the Sires’ for an eye-catching third from well back.
Meanwhile, Maher is also confident about the prospects of Oakleigh Plate winner Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) as he lines up in a field full of chances for Saturday’s All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
The five-year-old flashed home from the rear, as usual, for a 1.52–length fourth last start in a bunched finish in the TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), after going back from barrier nine.
He has gate six for Ethan Brown in the All Aged, and will likely travel closer to the pace over what Maher says is a more favourable 1400 metres.
“He’s in great order, Jimmy,” Maher said.
“When you look at his form it would suggest 1400 [metres] is his go. His first couple of wins were over that trip. He did win the Oakleigh Plate over 1100 metres, but he ran quicker in the TJ Smith than he did in the Oakleigh Plate, if you look at the sectionals.
“Over the 1400 he’ll travel that bit easier. He bummed the start the other day, or else he would have travelled a bit closer.
“My confidence levels are high. I certainly wouldn’t swap him, that’s for sure.”
Jimmysstar was on Friday a $6 second-favourite behind TJ Smith winner Briasa (Smart Missile). Sharing the next line at $6.50 were Joliestar (Zoustar) – expected to bounce back from a 2.03–length ninth in the TJ Smith on the unfavourable inside part of the straight – and Godolphin colt Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot), dropping 600 metres from his last-start win in the Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m).
Also at $20 or less were a host of other mares seeking to boost their broodmare value in Sydney’s last Group 1 of the season – Magic Time (Hellbent), Kimochi (Brave Smash), Benedetta (Hellbent) and Sunshine In Paris (Invader) – while Tony Gollan’s resuming gelding Antino (Redwood) was at $15.