Well-bred Williamsburg reigns in Group 3 at sodden Rosehill
Deluge forces Rosehill to abandon after third race with remaining races set to take place at Newcastle tomorrow
Yesterday’s ten-race card at Rosehill only got as far as the third after a heavy deluge forced the meeting to be abandoned, with the remaining seven races, including the Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m) and Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1850m), now set to take place at Newcastle tomorrow.
The decision to abandon was made after riders, including James McDonald and Kerrin McEvoy, approached officials after the running of the second race, the Schweppervescence (Gr 3, 1400m), to voice concerns that the track had become unsafe.
It was agreed by officials to continue on to the third race in order to see how the more experienced runners in the Neville Sellwood Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) would handle the wet conditions.
But with several senior riders still concerned after the running of the Group 3, Racing New South Wales chief steward Marc Van Gestel said there was little alternative but to postpone the final seven races, including the Tancred (Gr 1, 2400m) and Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
“Obviously with the heavy downpour during the running of race two, the track was really waterlogged,” Van Gestel said.
“A number of riders expressed their concerns after the second but were willing to try and get through the third event. But even with the rain easing we had a number of horses blundering on that surface.
“The tracks are so waterlogged, we have had so much rain in Sydney over the last few weeks, it got to a point we could not be comfortably satisfied there was safe footing for the horses.”
Following a consultation between both Racing NSW and Australian Turf Club officials, the decision was taken to transfer the remaining seven races to Newcastle tomorrow.
The switch means that the Vinery Stud Stakes and Tulloch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m), which were due to be run over 2000 metres, will now be reduced to 1850 metres, and also means that any three-year-olds looking to back-up from the Tulloch into Saturday’s Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) will now have just five days to recover.
All horses scratched yesterday will be reinstated into tomorrow’s fields.
Of the two stakes races that were completed, the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Williamsburg (Snitzel) managed to overcome the torrid conditions to win the Schweppervescence and in the process provide his sister a timely update before she goes under the hammer at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale next month.
Having broken his maiden over 1300 metres at Newcastle last month, the colt then finished fourth in the Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) on a Heavy 9 track on March 12.
Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, the son of Arrowfield Stud stallion Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) dug deep to repel the late challenge of the Godpolphin-raced Moko (Impending) by a neck, with a further four and a quarter lengths back to the well-supported Matcha Latte (Maurice), who finished third.
“He’s got a pretty stout pedigree, and he has shown his liking for the wet tracks,” Ryan said.
“He looked the winner about 300 metres out, but he had to sustain a bit of a slog with one to the line. It’s good for him to get a win.”
After the race, Ryan confirmed that the colt was likely to be backed up in the Inglis Sires’ (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick next weekend, with McEvoy expected to take the ride.
“As long as he comes through today well, he will probably back-up in the Sires’ next week. That was always the plan, so Brenton rode the other one (Boyfriend),” Ryan said.
“Obviously, he was committed to (Gary) Portelli’s (Golden Slipper winner Fireburn) next week, and that was always the plan with him, that Kerrin would ride being a jockey that might be able to ride him next week.”
McEvoy was effusive in his praise for the colt, giving special mention to his bravery and being able to pull the race out of the fire in such waterlogged conditions.
“It was bloody hard work, but full credit to my horse; it’s very waterlogged now,” McEvoy said.
“He wasn’t loving it, but his ability got him through it, and he tried hard all the way to the line. He’s a lovely horse for the future.”
The jockey later spoke of his disappointment but complete understanding of why the meeting was abandoned after the third race, feeling it was one of the heaviest tracks he had ridden.
“It’s disappointing because it was obviously a great meeting and we wanted to try to get through it but at the end of the day, it was just unsafe,” McEvoy said.
“The jockeys came in after race three and said there was a chance of horses not being able to stay on their feet. When it comes to safety, you have to put it first and cancel the meeting.”
Purchased by Tony Fung for $470,000 at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Williamsburg is out of 2015 Vinery Stud Stakes winner Fenway (High Chaparral), making him a half-brother to two-time winner Zudin (Redoute’s Choice). Fenway herself is a half-sister to Group 3 winner War (More Than Ready).
Bred by Arrowfield and Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, Williamsburg hails from the same family as Group 1 scorer Joie Denise (Danehill), the dam of multiple top-flight scorer Tuesday Joy (Carnegie) and fellow Group 1 winner Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence) and she in turn produced multiple Group 1-winning champion More Joyous (More Than Ready).
Further back, this is also the same page as Group 2 scorers Don’t Doubt Mamma (Not A Single Doubt) and Castlereagh Kid (Snitzel) as well as Listed winner Risen From Doubt (Not A Single Doubt).
In winning yesterday’s Group 3 contest, Williamsburg became the 120th individual stakes winner and 46th stakes-winning juvenile for Snitzel, who stood in 2021 for $165,000 (inc GST).
Fenway was a $700,000 Inglis Easter purchase at the 2013 sale by Colm Santry and has a weanling filly by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), while she was covered by Maurice (Screen Hero) last year. Her yearling filly by Snitzel is catalogued as Lot 166 in the Arrowfield Stud draft and Jon Freyer told ANZ Bloodstock News she has similar qualities to her brother.
“She’s a quality, elegant filly. She’s actually quite similar to what he was as a yearling. He was probably a shade on the backwards side and developed beautifully going into the prep. We’re happy with her and there is a lot of quality about her,” he said.
“She’s from an amazing family – the Joie Denise family is one of the best families in the Australian stud book and this is a lovely branch of it. The mare has got some lovely stock coming through, she’s got a lovely I Am Invincible and she’s in foal to Maurice.”
Freyer said he was very impressed with Williamsburg’s victory yesterday and said his will to win was typical of progeny of Arrowfield’s multiple champion sire, Snitzel.
“He was really game and he really toughed it out in very difficult conditions. The other horse came to beat him and he was just stern at the end and that is typical of the Snitzels, they love to win and he certainly tried his heart out today – it was great to see,” Freyer said.
Oaks dream for well-related Mac ‘N’ Cheese
Regally-bred filly Mac ‘N’ Cheese (3 f Sebring – Bonnie Mac by Thorn Park) kept her Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) dream alive when scoring arguably the most impressive win of her career to date in the Clare Lindop Stakes (Listed, 1600m) at Morphettville yesterday.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained filly opened her account at the third time of asking when producing a last-to-first effort in the Oaklands Plate (Listed, 1400m) last July, and went into yesterday’s race having landed her most recent start over 1200 metres at the same South Australian venue.
Ridden by Barend Vorster in yesterday’s Listed contest, the daughter of late Widden Stud stallion Sebring (More Than Ready) suffered interference during the race but showed a smart turn of foot to quickly put distance between herself and her rivals, beating Perceptive (Written Tycoon) by three lengths with a further neck back to The Map (Alpine Eagle) in third.
“She’s got what it takes,” Tony McEvoy told Racing.com.
“To my eye she never travelled, Barend was just at her and at the mile I thought she would travel but she looked to be at her top throughout.
“Then he got one of the best head and shoulders you’ve ever seen, but thankfully it spurred her on.”
McEvoy said the filly would likely tackle the Auraria Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) in a fortnight before the Oaks on April 30.
Mac ‘N’ Cheese is a half-sister to Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner and now Vinery Stud resident Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) and Caulfield Sprint (Gr 2, 1100m) winner Oxley Road (Exceed And Excel), yet McEvoy feels the 2000-metre task of the Oaks may be just the ticket for the filly.
“Everything about her to Calvin and myself has been a mile and above,” the winning jockey said.
“Everything about her tells me she will love the 2000 metres of the Oaks.”
Bred by Nick Vass, Mac ‘N’ Cheese was a $300,000 purchase by Spendthrift Australia from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is the third living foal out of the late Proud Miss Stakes (Listed, 1200m)-winning mare Bonnie Mac (Thorn Park), who is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winners Upham (Mastercraftsman) and Intimate Moment (Dubawi) as well as Listed winner Gold Rum (Golan).
The daughter of Thorn Park (Spinning World) was purchased for $460,000 by Guy Mulcaster when offered by Oakwood Farm at the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale before being sold by Newgate Farm for $375,000 to Allam Racing and Andrew Williams Bloodstock when in foal to Capitalist (Written Tycoon) at the 2019 edition of the same sale.
The colt was purchased for $1,050,000 by Hickman Racing at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Yarraman Park Stud. Bonnie Mac died in May last year.