The familiar colours of Hermitage’s Hong Kong-based Principal Eugene Chuang were carried to victory in Ellerslie’s Blue Riband event by rider Craig Grylls 12 months after Dragon Leap (Pierro) had found 2400 metres a touch beyond him.
Dragon Leap had won the two Group 2 lead-ups, the Auckland and Avondale Guineas, before he finished a gallant fourth in the 3-year-old feature and Rocket Spade sparked celebrations in three countries following his Derby success.
The O’Sullivan family’s Wexford Stables were major players with Lance co-training Rocket Spade and his brother Paul, successfully training in Hong Kong, their long-time friend Robbie Hewetson and Sydney bloodstock agent Andrew Williams also all involved in Hermitage purchases.
The quest to find a Derby winner began in 2015 with the purchase of a son of Smart Missile at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“It’s been a great team effort and it all started with Cha Siu Bao. Hermitage was a client of Paul's in Hong Kong and asked us to buy a horse to run in a Derby,” O’Sullivan said.
Barrier blues
O’Sullivan, who trains in partnership with Andrew Scott, fulfilled his end of the bargain with Cha Siu Bao (Smart Missile) starting in the 2017 edition of the Classic, but came out the barrier bucking and tailed the field home.
Cha Siu Bao, who finished third in an undercard race at Ellerslie on Sunday, was purchased out of Widden Stud’s draft for $425,000 and was initially to have stayed put.
“After we had bought Cha Siu Bao we got an e-mail to say the horse was going to remain in Australia and we replied and thanked them for the opportunity,” O’Sullivan said.
“Three months later we got another e-mail to say he had been broken in and was coming to New Zealand and that’s how it began.”
Cha Siu Bao as a yearling
O’Sullivan’s team has been buying for Hermitage ever since and had set a simple approach to business.
“We go on type and virtually look at pretty much all the horses that go through the ring. Then we work it out from there whether they’ve got the pedigree to run a trip,” he said.
“We go on type and virtually look at pretty much all the horses that go through the ring. Then we work it out from there whether they’ve got the pedigree to run a trip.” – Lance O’Sullivan
“What happens is we go around the barns at the sales and we all have our sections. We come back with a list and might have 30 horses and then we all look at them and Rocket Spade had been in one of Paul’s barns.
“We were allowed to buy one horse and it wasn’t the normal big budget because I think they had already spent about $20 million or something in that vicinity. We identified two horses and bought the first and Eugene then said to buy the other one as well.”
Rocket Spade as a yearling
Bred by Sun Kingdom, Rocket Spade was purchased at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $425,000 where he was offered by Tyreel Stud and the team also went to $440,000 to secure another youngster from Widden Stud’s consignment. As Fast Willie (Teofilo {Ire}), he was successful at Awapuni the day before the Derby at his second appearance.
“He (Fast Willie) is a slow-maturer both physically and mentally and I think he will grow into something, he’s just needs time,” O’Sullivan said.
Sydney beckons
With a Derby in the bag, Rocket Spade will cross the Tasman but with his program yet to be locked in.
“He has pulled up really well and he will go to Australia. We haven’t decided exactly what he might be running in yet and entered him in quite a few different races,” O’Sullivan said. “We’re keeping our options open and not leaning any particular way at the moment.”
Rocket Spade’s stablemate Force Of Will (NZ) (Power {GB}) will also be bound for Sydney provided the last-start G3 Desert Gold S. winner performs up to expectations over 1600 metres at Ellerslie this weekend.
Force Of Will (NZ) (yellow silks) | Image by Peter Rubery at Race Images
“The plan is to run in the G1 Vinery S. and we are going to run her this Saturday in a special conditions maiden over a mile,” O’Sullivan said.
“She is owned by Sir Owen Glenn and I think she is still pretty untapped and certainly deserves her chance.
“The plan was to run in the G1 New Zealand Oaks, but she had a little setback with a bad blood and missed a race, so we elected to get her right and if she performs well on Saturday she will get her ticket to Sydney.”
