Premier WA owner-breeder Bob Peters faces a ghost, if he elects to start his star 4-year-old Regal Power in the G2 TABtouch Perth Cup (2400 metres) on January 4.
The WATC Derby and Railway S. winner is set to be the top-weight on 59kg in the Perth Cup, when weights are released tomorrow, following an electrifying 2.5l win in Saturday’s G2 Ted Van Heemst S. (2100 metres) at Ascot.
The handsome brown gelding is already the highest rated horse - on 108 points on Saturday – in the Cup and he will incur a further penalty tomorrow, when the handicapper does his analysis of Saturday’s Ascot results.
Delicacy
Peters has dark memories of his dual Oaks and Derby winner Delicacy lumping 59kg - creating a weight-carrying record for a mare - in the 2016 (January) Perth Cup.
Peters was riding on a high wave with his other mares Real Love (Desert King {Ire}) (2015 Perth Cup victor) and Neverland (Big Brown {USA}) filling the minor placings in the Cup.
But Peters’ emotions plummeted the next day when scans revealed his $2 million stakes earner Delicacy had severely torn the tendons in her two front legs.
Delicacy, who was crowned Australia’s Champion 3-year-old for her feats in the WA Oaks (Group 3), WATC Derby (Group 2), Schweppes Oaks (Group 1) and SA Derby (Group 1) and won the WA Horse of the Year Award, career was over at four years-of-age with a record of 12 wins and five placings at 19 starts.
Regal Power
Regal Power, a full brother in blood to Peters’ last season’s star filly Arcadia Queen (Pierro) out of Arcadia (Redoute’s Choice), explosively won the G2 WATC Derby (2400 metres), before brilliantly winning last month’s $1 million G1 Railway S. (1600 metres) at Ascot.
“What happened to Delicacy weighs on my mind,” Peters said.
“I thought he would win the Van Heemst, but he won it far better than I ever thought.
“I need to look at what is available to him on the East Coast in the autumn. There is no way you can focus on races in the autumn in Melbourne and Sydney if you keep going now. I have found that it just doesn’t work.
"There is no way you can focus on races in the autumn in Melbourne and Sydney if you keep going now." - Bob Peters
“So I have to choose whether it is the Perth Cup or something in the autumn. Then; Is he good enough to take there for the big races?”
Regal Power is equal with Arcadia Queen, who as a 3-year-old won last year’s Kingston Town Classic, as a Group 1 winner.
Regal Power and Arcadia Queen are two of eight stakes winners Peters has produced, from Antique (Metal Storm {Fr}) or her daughters.
Antique was a full sister to WA Guineas winner Kalatiara, out of Bonny Guest (What A Guest {Ire}), who was sold and won at Group 3 level in the USA.
Antique’s second filly Broadway Belle (Redoute’s Choice), who won the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic, was sent to Pierro, with her first foal Action, winning the 2018 WATC Derby and finishing second in this year’s Perth Cup.
Broadway Belle was covered by first season Coolmore Stud stallion, Vancouver.
The foal is a 2-year-old, but is unlikely to race until next season.
Peters then had Broadway Belle covered by American Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic champion American Pharoah (USA).
American Pharoah (USA) | Standing at Coolmore
American Pharoah stood his first season at stud in Australia in 2017, standing at Coolmore’s NSW’s Hunter Valley operation.
He won nine times - including eight Group 1’s - which he won by a combined margin of more than 38l.
The foal is entered in next year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney.
“Regal Power has a nice half-brother by Vancouver, who is being brought along now,” Peters said.
“The mare was then covered by American Pharoah.
"She is a really nice filly. It will be really interesting to see how she goes at auction. I sold a filly at the Easter Sale last year out of this family for $950,000.”
Lot 361 - Vancouver x Arcadia Dream (filly)
The filly (Lot 361), by Vancouver from WATC Derby winner Arcadia Dream (Domesday), was sold through Holbrook Stud.
Godolphin was the successful buyer.
Regal Power’s win in the Ted Van Heemst gave Peters and his wife Sandra their sixth success in the weight-for-age 2100 metres feature.
Old Money (Old Spice) was Peters’ inaugural winner in 2000, as a 3 year-old, followed by Lords Ransom (2007), Elite Belle (2014), Delicacy (2015), Perfect Reflection (2016) and last season’s Railway S. and WA Horse of the Year winner Galaxy Star (2018).
Galaxy Star
Coincidently Regal Power’s co-trainer Alana, who trains the gelding with her husband Grant, rode Old Money on 47.5kg, when she won.
Star Exhibit (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), who also won the 2016 Perth Cup (December), looks on target to join Rocket for the most number of wins in the Perth Cup.
Rocket has won the most Cups with three wins in 1881, 1882, 1883.
“Star Exhibit is an 8-year-old now but he is going well,” Peters said.
“The weight could stop him because he is the second highest rated horse (107) in the Cup.”
“The weight could stop him because he is the second highest rated horse (107) in the Cup.” - Bob Peters
Star Exhibit carried 55kg and jumped from gate 15, when winning the Cup earlier this year for regular jockey Peter Hall.
Star Exhibit, who was runner-up in the 2017 G1 Doomben Cup, was on the limit on 54kg, at his inaugural Cup win.
Mississippi Delta (High Chaparral {Ire}), who finished fourth in last January’s Cup, finished a well-beaten fourth (4.7l) in the Van Heemst. But she will get some weight relief in the Cup on the 57kg she carried on Saturday.
Grant Williams won the Van Heemst twice with Elite Belle and Delicacy and now three times with Alana with Perfect Reflection, Galaxy Queen and Regal Power.
Grant Williams (right)
