Tofane justifies connections’ call to hold on to her with Stradbroke win
Ocean Park mare adds second Group 1 to CV, now Cox Plate a possibility for the Mick Moroney-trained five-year-old
Jockey Craig Williams’ determination to gain the ride on Group 1-winning mare Tofane (Ocean Park) was rewarded when the valuable mare won the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m), her second victory at the highest level and potentially staved off racetrack retirement by 12 months.
Melbourne trainer Mike Moroney elected to not overtax the rising six-year-old Tofane, last year’s All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner, due to an injury setback after her spring preparation which saw her resume in the Sapphire Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) in April before venturing to Queensland for the carnival.
She was runner-up to Emerald Kingdom (Bryannbo’s Gift) in the BRC Sprint (Gr 3, 1350m) at Doomben on May 22 before being given three weeks between runs and landing a $900,000 payday yesterday at Eagle Farm in the state’s richest race.
“When (Phillip Stokes decided Instant Celebrity wasn’t going to come up here, after Tofane’s last run I said, ‘get me on that horse, please. I really think she can win the race for us’,” Williams said.
“I loved the way Mike had spaced her runs. She’s now a dual Group 1-winning mare.
“I had to try to restrain her throughout the race and she got a bit inconvenienced throughout but she was really strong late.”
Williams settled Tofane ($12) in behind the tempo and was able to overhaul Kingsford-Smith Cup (Gr 1, 1300m) winner Vega One (Lope De Vega) in the final strides to win by half a length. Signore Fox (Exceed And Excel) was a short neck away in third.
Connections of Tofane had made the last-minute decision to withdraw the mare from the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was expected to make at least $2 million to instead race her on for at least the Queensland winter carnival.
Part-owner Rupert Legh suggested last week that Tofane could still be sold prior to the start of the breeding season but that could now be off the cards for another season.
“We were at the sales only three weeks ago to make a decision whether we sold her or not,” Legh said yesterday.
“Fortunately, I was outvoted by the other owners and here she is today winning another Group 1.
“Mike has been trying to get this horse to a mile plus. If you look at the pedigree, it suggests she can get to 2000 metres so who knows, we might be running in the Cox Plate in October this year.”
Tofane was purchased privately in New Zealand by Moroney and Legh from Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham after she showed above average ability in a three-year-old maiden barrier trial at Te Teko in September 2018.
Having finished runner-up on her first start under the new ownership she would go on to win a Ballarat maiden before gaining important black type in the Euclase Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) during a four-start first racing preparation.
Tofane is one of three winners for Baggy Green (Galileo), a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Funstar (Adelaide), and a half-sister to another Group 1 winner in Youngstar (High Chaparral) and the stakes-placed Eleven Seconds (Encosta De Lago).
Baggy Green has an unraced two-year-old colt by Reliable Man (Dalakhani) named Benaud, who is in training with John O’Shea and wears Carl Holt’s royal blue and red vee colours also adorned by stablemate Lost And Running (Per Incanto) and the Annabel Neasham-trained import Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux), winner of yesterday’s Q22 (Gr 2, 2200m).
Now owned by Kevin and Jo Hickman’s Valachi Downs, she has a weanling sister to Tofan e and returned to Waikato Stud’s Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Ocean Park (Thorn Park) last year.
Frankel’s Converge toys with rivals in J J Atkins
Adrian Bott is daring to dream after pint-sized European-bred juvenile Converge (Frankel) asserted his racetrack authority in the last two-year-old Group 1 race of the season, the J J Atkins Plate (Gr 1, 1400m), a race which has a history of unearthing elite three-year-olds.
The Hong Kong-owned Converge, a horse purchased in utero with hopes of becoming a stallion prospect, landed the $1 million J J Atkins, which has been won in the past by the likes of The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), Press Statement (Hinchinbrook), Sizzling (Snitzel) and Darci Brahma (Danehill).
“He’s such a genuine horse. He’s not the biggest horse in the stable by any means, but he’s got the biggest heart,” said Bott who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse.
“He’s the most honest horse we’ve got and now he’s got an explosive turn of foot to go with it, so it’s dangerous.
“We can really go home and dream tonight what could be possible for his three-year-old career.
“If he continues to develop physically, and improving every time he steps out like today, well then we’ve certainly got a lot ahead.”
Converge ($2.90 favourite), who came from back in the field to unleash an impressive finishing burst, had three and a quarter lengths to spare on runner-up Giannis (Flying Artie) ($26) while Tiger Of Malay (Extreme Choice) ($9.50) was just behind in third.
Tim Clark was arguably unlucky on Converge when he made up a lot of ground to run second to Tiger Of Malay in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) and the jockey believes it may have helped connections establish the best way to ride the gelding.
“We learned a bit with him the other day that he’s versatile,” Clark said.
“If we need to go to plan B, which we did the other day, then he’s still able to adapt.
“He’s done an amazing job, he’s been through the Sydney carnival and Gai and Adrian gave him that little freshen up before coming up here.
“Obviously we saw what he did the other day and it’s definitely redemption today after just getting beat last time.
“We got it right in the big one and it’s very satisfying and it’s obviously great to win another big race for Gai and Adrian.”
Bott joined Waterhouse in a training partnership in 2016 as part of a succession plan for Tulloch Lodge. Waterhouse sold the stables and training business to Adrian’s father Tony Bott’s Hong Kong client, Mr P K Sui, but the Hall Of Fame inductee has remained as the senior partner since.
The pair has trained 11 Group 1 winners since joining forces, including last year’s Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) with Farnan (Not A Single Doubt).
Converge is the first foal out of the placed European mare Conversely (Shamardal) who was purchased by Evergreen Park Stud on behalf of Sui from Coolmore Stud in Ireland when in foal to Frankel (Galileo) carrying the J J Atkins Plate winner.
Conversely, who has a rising two-year-old colt by Churchill (Galileo) and a weanling colt by Invader (Snitzel), is one of seven named foals out of US Grade 3 winner Melhor Ainda (Pulpit).
She is currently in foal to Divine Prophet (Choisir) but Tony Bott told ANZ Bloodstock News last week that they will look to “mate her up” this year on the back of Converge’s success.
Three straight for Zaaki in inaugural Q22
Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) reinforced his weight for age qualities and the belief that he is a genuine Cox Plate contender after backing up his emphatic Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) success with another dominant display in the inaugural Q22 (Gr 2, 2200m) yesterday.
The European import brought his first Australian campaign to a close in the $1.2 million race at Eagle Farm and trainer Annabel Neasham immediately put the spring on the agenda for the gelding.
“I’m just so lucky to have a horse like this. I just can’t believe I got a horse like this so early on,” Neasham said.
“I’ve loved him from day one. From day one, he’s looked like he’s going to be a star. You don’t run them in a Doncaster first-up unless you have a big opinion of him.
“He has just held onto his condition and form. I just wish the Cox Plate was in two weeks.”
After settling just behind the pace early, Zaaki’s jockey James McDonald followed the lead of rival Hugh Bowman on Reloaded (Snitzel) who whipped around the field to take up the running mid-race. Not wanting to risk being shuffled back after settling in fourth, one off the fence, McDonald let Zaaki stride up to second and bided his time until the straight where he asked the gelding to extend and put victory beyond doubt with 200 metres still to run.
Zaaki ($1.26 favourite), who brought up a hat-trick of wins, scored by one and a half lengths over Homesman (War Front) ($26) and Paths Of Glory (Mastercraftsman) ($31) in an all-imported trifecta.
The New Zealand-bred Brandenburg (Burgundy) finished fourth.
Group 1-winning mare Toffee Tongue (Tavistock), who is trained by Chris Waller and owned by Jonathan Munz, was pulled out of the race by jockey Nash Rawiller at the 800-metre mark but was brought back to scale under the rider and the clerk of the course.
Later, Queensland Integrity Commission stewards reported that a veterinary examination revealed the mare had displaced filler in the off-fore hoof. Waller said the mare would be spelled.
Meanwhile, Zaaki, who has now won seven of his 26 starts, was bought for 150,000gns by Blandford Bloodstock agent Stuart Boman and Neasham at last year’s Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
He is one of six winners from eight foals to race for Kesara (Sadler’s Wells), who is also the dam of Singapore stakes-placed Kirks Ryker (Selkirk).
Since being brought to Australia late last year, Zaaki has won connections $1.499 million in prize-money in a five-start campaign which started with a first-up sixth in the Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) on April 10.