Maher and Eustace continue juvenile domination in Sydney
A week after Cellsabeel’s (Hinchinbrook) six-length romp at Rosehill, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have strengthened their Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) hand as Away Game (Snitzel) and Prague (Redoute’s Choice) landed a Group 3 double at Randwick yesterday.
Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Away Game took out the first leg of the double, winning the Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) by a comfortable margin of two and a quarter lengths ahead of the Chris Waller-trained Centimental (Snitzel), with Philizzy (Snitzel) a further neck away in third, marking a trifecta for Arrowfield Stud’s leading sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
Under visiting English jockey Tom Marquand, Away Game jumped from the widest barrier (5) and crossed the field to lead on the rails for the trip, before scooting away in the home straight to seal her third win in a row and book her ticket to next month’s $3.5 million juvenile feature.
Maher, who was on course for the win, said his valuable filly is unlikely to run again before her target race at Randwick on March 21.
“We’ll see where she sits (in the elimination order) after this, we may not see her until then,” he said. “She certainly doesn’t need a lot of racing.”
“She looked as if she was lost out in front there and he (Marquand) had to give her a little squeeze to go and cross (to the rail) and then it looked as if she was lost on the rail because she didn’t see much of it at the Gold Coast.
“She’s now a dual stakes winner very early in her career, she’s a valuable little filly.”
Away Game (2 f Snitzel ex Elusive Wonder by Elusive Quality) has now won three of four starts, all at stakes level, and amassed a total of $1,327,800 in prize-money.
She was selected by Hannah Mathiesen and signed for by agent Kerri Radcliffe for $425,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Mill Park Stud draft.
One of five winners for the stakes-placed mare Elusive Wonder (Elusive Quality), Away Game is a sister to the Listed winner Modern Wonder, who was trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, and was sold in 2018 for $400,000 to Kia Ora Stud as a broodmare prospect.
Elusive Wonder has a yearling filly by Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) that was purchased by Aquis Farm for $580,000 at last month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, as well as a filly at foot by Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) and she returned to the same stallion this season, with a November 8 covering date.
Less than an hour later, Maher and Marquand were back in the winner’s enclosure at Randwick after Prague landed the Canonbury Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), the colt’s second win from two starts.
The son of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) was arguably even more impressive than his stablemate, winning by a length and three-quarters ahead of Chris Waller’s Global Quest (More Than Ready) with the Gerald Ryan-trained Return With Honour (Fastnet Rock) a further neck away in third.
“I had a bit of a feeling about him today with the shades on and how he had come on in his coat from his first up run, there is a bit of timing about him,” Maher said.
“Again, a great job by the team. Tom Marquand is riding up a storm. He’s a very strong rider and had to feel a bit for him there because he got a bit lost when he hit the front.”
Marquand rode the race to perfection, settling the Aquis Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbreds-owned colt on the outside of leader Nitrous (Deep Field) after narrowly missing the start, and the jockey was impressed with what he felt beneath him.
“He jumped half a step slowly like his first run at Canterbury but popped up into the bridle relatively quickly,” Marquand said.
“From three furlongs out (the 600-metre mark) there was little doubt as to what he was going to do and he was strong to the line.
“I’m sure that run will bring him on and he’ll only improve out of it. Obviously the filly (Away Game) has probably shown some of her best hand already.
“She has shown she is extremely talented and extremely tough. But this lad has a hell of a lot of improving physically and mentally.
“They are two very nice horses going places and Ciaron has a stable full of good two-year-olds who are extremely well managed.”
Prague’s win provided Marquand with his 14th winner since arriving in Sydney on January 4 for his summer stint while Maher and Eustace have now won 15 two-year-old races for the season.
“It’s a very exciting time, the stable is going well. It’s a young, enthusiastic great team and I’m very proud,” Maher said.
Prague (2 c Redoute’s Choice ex Purely Spectacular by Pins), was selected by Aquis Farm managing director Shane McGrath at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and purchased from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft for $1.6 million in conjunction with Phoenix Thoroughbreds.
One of five foals to race from the well-related mare Purely Spectacular (Pins), Prague is a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner Stratum Star (Stratum) as well as the stakes-placed Serenade (Star Witness).
Mildred back with Chairman’s win
The decision to wait an extra week before beginning her autumn campaign paid off for Grahame Begg when Mildred (Hinchinbrook) took out the Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) first-up at Caulfield.
Mildred was initially meant to run in last week’s Blue Diamond Preview (F) (Gr 3, 1000m) but feeling as though she was a gallop or two short of being race fit, 2018 Blue Diamond-winning trainer Begg elected to run the daughter of Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) in yesterday’s $160,000 race instead.
Under Jordan Childs, Mildred was one of the best to break from the gates and lead the trip, holding off the Lindsay Park-trained Aryaaf (Epaulette) by a length with debutant Frederick The Dane (Danerich) a further four and a quarter lengths back in third.
“It’s very exciting,” Begg said.
“It just vindicated that we waited that extra week. I get more satisfaction out of that, making the right call.
“You can be a mug and make the wrong call plenty of times. But when you get it right, it’s a big thing.”
While the Chairman’s Stakes is a typical lead-up race for the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), Begg said Mildred is likely to run in the Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington on February 15 although he hasn’t ruled out backing her up in the $1.5 million juvenile feature a week later.
“She backed up quickly from her first start to her second start so it’s a very real possibility,” he said.
“But we’ve got nothing set in stone. We might head to Sydney and possibly run in something up there. It’s all about building her resume up. She’s won a Listed and she’s now won a Group 3.”
Mildred (2 f Hinchinbrook ex Tempest Tost by Statue of Liberty) has had four starts for three wins, two of which have been at stakes level, earning a total of $242,200 in prize-money.
She was purchased from the draft of Middlebrook Valley Lodge for $45,000 by Neville Begg at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Mildred is the fourth winner out of the stakes-winning mare Tempest Tost (Statue Of Liberty) who herself is a half-sister to Group 1-winner Notoire (Export Price) and dual stakes winner Well Known (The Pug).
Her half-brother by Deep Field (Deep Impact) was purchased by Patrick Lee at last month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $400,000.
Her late sire Hinchinbrook has his final crop of yearlings going through the sale ring this year with 18 lots catalogued at the upcoming Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Son of Exceed And Excel Stands Out in Expressway
Gerald Ryan’s flashy three-year-old colt Standout (Exceed And Excel) proved he is the real deal as he beat his elders when taking out the Expressway Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick yesterday.
It was the first time the son of Exceed and Excel (Danehill) had raced outside of his age group and he emulated the deeds of former stablemate and Widden Stud–resident Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) who was the last three-year-old to take out the race.
Standout was settled fourth in the run, switching off nicely under Tommy Berry, before cruising into the race with 300 metres to go, winning by a length and a half ahead of the fast-finishing Alizee (Sepoy) with White Moss (Mossman) a further half-length back in third.
Chris Waller’s Golden Eagle (1500m) winner Kolding (Ocean Park) was fourth.
“I was confident coming in he could do that, but you don’t know until you try them,” Ryan said.
“You’ve got Chris’s horse (Kolding) who is probably one of the best horses in Australia and Alizee, who is probably the best mare in Australia and that little white thing (White Moss) never knows when to run a bad race.
“It was his test and sure, he’s got to make the next level and take on the best horses, but he’s got a Group 2 against his name now.
“He has always shown that he had Group 1 ability. He hasn’t got there yet but he’s certainly going to have a crack at it this autumn.
“A race like the Canterbury Stakes could be on the agenda and I’ve had luck in the TJ (Smith Stakes) with Melito and Trapeze Artist as three-year-olds.”
Standout (3 c Exceed and Excel ex Bahia by Snippets) has won four of his five starts with his only defeat coming at the hands of Cosmic Force (Deep Field) in the Roman Consul Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) where he finished second. He has amassed a total of $315,365 in prize-money.
Bred and raced by George Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud, he is a brother to Golden Slipper Stakes winner Overreach and Widden Stud’s resident Outreach, who sired his first winner on Thursday.
The fifth winner out of Bahia (Snippets), Standout is also related to Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort (Exceed And Excel) as well as Group 3 winner Charmed Harmony (Hussonet).
Corumbene Stud are offering the brother to Standout at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 342.
Seth returns with Super Manfred win
Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Super Seth (Dundeel) returned where he left off after posting an impressive first-up win in the Manfred Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield.
Similar to his Guineas win, the Anthony Freedman-trained colt ran down last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Free Of Debt (Unencumbered) in the final stages of the race, scoring by a length and a quarter with Dalasan (Dalakhani) running on for a neck third.
Freedman considered scratching his Waikato Stud-bound colt after a heavy downpour of rain significantly affected the track, but Super Seth added another feather to his cap, proving he can handle wet ground.
“It was an impressive performance,” Freedman said.
“I wasn’t too sure about the ground but the Dundeels can generally get through it and it opens up a possibility in Sydney if they get rain up there.
“He seems to have come back at least as good.”
Jockey Mark Zahra believes Super Seth has improved again and said the three-year-old had a real will to win.
“A lot of horses would have given up at the furlong because the leader gave a good kick but once I got within a half–length he just took off, he knows where the finishing line is,” Zahra said.
“He’s come back bigger and better than ever.”
The son of Dundeel’s (High Chaparral) next run is likely to be in the C S Hayes Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Flemington on February 15 before he heads to his ultimate target in the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
Following his win in the Caulfield Guineas, New Zealand’s Waikato Stud secured a majority share in Super Seth to stand him at their farm once he retires and the stud’s Mark Chittick said he was nervous leading into yesterday’s race.
“When Mark (Zahra) cruised past the leader at the 100–metre mark, it was a great feeling of relief, hugely satisfying,’’ Chittick said.
“When you become involved in a horse under these circumstances, buying into them as a stallion proposition, I definitely felt a lot of added pressure ahead of today’s race. There’s no hiding, it’s a lot of money.
“But he’s such a quality colt, he really is. I can’t wait to see him keep racing and hopefully add some more Group 1s to his name hopefully before coming here to Waikato for his stallion days.’’
Super Seth’s (3 c Dundeel ex Salutations by Redoute’s Choice) record now sits at five wins from eight starts for $1,512,100 in prize-money. With his stallion future locked in, the $280,000 paid by New Zealand agent Dean Hawthorne at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale looks a lucrative investment.
Super Seth’s dam Salutations (Redoute’s Choice) is also the mother of the Hawkes Racing-trained dual Listed winner Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom).
Super Seth’s second dam is the Group 2 winner Toast Of The Coast (Rory’s Jester), who was trained by Tony Vasil, while his third dam Solo Show (Dahar) was a Herbert Power Stakes (Gr 2, 2400m) winner.
Super Seth’s sister was purchased for $70,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Sandra Harding and she is now in training with Peter and Paul Snowden at Randwick.
Salutations had a Dundeel colt last spring and was bred back to the six-time Group 1 winning son of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) in 2019.
John Messara of Arrowfield Stud, who bred Super Seth, said he was thrilled with the colt’s return win.
“We’re proud of Super Seth as one of our 12 Group 1-winning Inglis Easter graduates since 2013 and we look forward to presenting six Dundeel yearlings in our Classic draft and eight at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale.”