Cover image courtesy of Michael McInally
Race-Day Recap
Tony Gollan is hoping to plunder Victorian riches as he plans a trip south with classy colt Spiritualised (Spirit Of Boom) after he made a mockery of his rivals at Doomben on Saturday.
Trainer Dan O’Sullivan has outlined October’s G1 Caulfield Guineas as a potential spring target for Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}) after the exciting 3-year-old registered the second win of his career in a competitive BM70 H. at Flemington on Saturday.
Hardy gelding Hard Empire (Hard Spun {USA}) caused a major boilover with a shock victory in Saturday’s feature G2 Missile S. at Randwick.
Ever-consistent sprinter Sirius Suspect (Wanted) added another Group success to his resume by the way of Saturday’s feature G3 Aurie’s Star H. at Flemington.
Meanwhile in New Zealand, dual Group 1 winner Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) brought a touch of class to Saturday's Ruakaka card and she picked up where she left off last season with a solid victory in a classy edition of the Kerikeri Cup.
McNeil Stakes option for Spiritualised
The Tony Gollan-trained Spiritualised, who was sent around as a short-priced fancy, made his rivals look second rate in the BM72 contest, leading throughout before being eased down over the concluding stages to beat Demon Delivera (Deep Field) by a cosy 1l.
“I thought he quickened quite well and put them away,” Gollan told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He still tends to think about things and wandered around a bit. That was evident at Eagle Farm and was evident again late there, although he had the race in his keeping from a long way out.
“The 1200 metres might be at the edge of his trip at the moment. He is very dominant at home on the track, and is doing that at the races now, which I am pleased to see. So, we will see what happens with him over the next few days and how he pulls up.”
Gollan said the colt could now make up part of his team he was planning to send south for the carnival, with the trainer pinpointing the G3 McNeil S. as a good option for the 3-year-old, who was adding a second win to his career on Saturday.
“He (Spiritualised) is very dominant at home on the track, and is doing that at the races now, which I am pleased to see. So, we will see what happens with him over the next few days and how he pulls up.” - Tony Gollan
“I think a trip away in a different environment might bring him on. They get a little comfortable at home with these sorts of horses.
“It is nice to get a metropolitan win with him for a big team of owners that have put a lot of money into these Spirit Of Boom horses and it’s good to get something back.”
A $575,000 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by Gollan Racing and John Foote Bloodstock from the draft of his breeders Musk Creek Farm. Spiritualised is the first foal out of the Snitzel mare Personalised, who is a half-sister to the G1 VRC Oaks heroine Personal (Fastnet Rock).
Spiritualised as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Meanwhile, Group 1 placegetters Time Thief and Foreplay feature in the second generation of this family.
It was a great result for Musk Creek Farm, who they teamed up Boomer Bloodstock's (FBAA) Craig Rounsefell to purchase the colt's dam Personalised for $525,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when she was carrying Spiritualised in utero.
Spirit Of Boom enjoyed a brilliant season last season, especially with his 2-year-olds, and he is standing for a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).
Spirit Of Boom | Standing at Eureka Stud
Guineas option for Berkeley Square
Trainer Dan O’Sullivan has outlined October’s G1 Caulfield Guineas as a potential spring target for Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}) after the exciting 3-year-old registered the second win of his career in a competitive BM70 H. at Flemington on Saturday.
Berkeley Square, who put the writing on the wall last start when finishing second behind smart filly Boogie Dancer (Sooboog) at Caulfield, justified his odds-on quote in the 1410-metre event to beat home Castillian (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) by 1.75l after riding the speed under Craig Williams.
“I’ll have a chat to Craig (Williams), but in four weeks times there’s a Listed race (Exford Plate) here (at Flemington) for him,” O’Sullivan told Racing.com.
Berkeley Square strides away to win at Flemington | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“We would like to try get him to the Caulfield Guineas, but whether that’s going to be too sharp for him and it’s a fair way away.”
Williams, who replaced Alana Kelly aboard Berkeley Square, said his mount still has plenty to learn despite winning with plenty in hand.
“He’s a really lovely horse with a great profile, so that’s why I was delighted to get the ride on him today with the view to the future,” Williams told Racing.com.
“He’s (Berkeley Square) a really lovely horse with a great profile, so that’s why I was delighted to get the ride on him today with the view to the future.” - Craig Williams
“It’s really exciting times, he’s still so relatively raw, and while he’s got a great attitude and is easy to do anything he has so much scope.”
Bred and retained by David Peacock, Berkeley Square is out of the G3 South Australia Fillies' Classic-placed Teofilo (Ire) mare Bahamas, making him a half-brother to G3 Frank Packer Plate hero and G1 Queensland Derby runner-up Senor Toba (Toronado {Ire}).
Bahamas herself is a half-sister to G2 Matriarch S. heroine Affair To Remember (Toronado {Ire}), who was also bred and raced by Peacock. Territories (Ire) shuttled to Darley Australia for five seasons, but will not return this year.
Imperatriz picks up where she left off
Dual Group 1 winner Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) brought a touch of class to Saturday's Ruakaka card and she picked up where she left off last season with a solid victory in a classy edition of the Kerikeri Cup.
The Mark Walker-trained daughter of I Am Invincible signed off her 3-year-old career with a win in the G1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and she carried that momentum through to her 4-year-old season with a 0.2l victory over Dragon Leap (Pierro) in second.
Meanwhile, the winners fellow Group 1-winning stablemates, Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), finished sixth and ninth respectively.
Imperatriz leads them home in the Kerikeri Cup at Ruakaka | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Walker said Imperatriz will now head towards the G2 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa later this month and she will then likely tackle the G1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings on September 10.
“It was a good effort by a mare (Imperatriz) to carry 60kg at this stage of her 4-year-old season,” he said.
“We were giving the runner-up 5kg and he is a quality animal, so I thought it was a very good run.
“Our thinking had been to give all of our three a race today (Saturday) on a better surface to help build their fitness as we work towards the first day at Hastings.
“Originally, we thought we would kick them off in the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa later this month but if they strike a Heavy track there it might just take the edge off them for Hastings.
“Now she (Imperatriz) has had a good hitout we can just nurse her along to Te Rapa in three weeks and have her cherry ripe at Hastings two weeks later.
“Now she (Imperatriz) has had a good hitout we can just nurse her along to Te Rapa in three weeks and have her cherry ripe at Hastings two weeks later.” - Mark Walker
“I had been pleased with her but she had only trialled on the synthetic and it can be hard to get a line on them.
“She showed today just what a competitor she is and that was very pleasing to see.”
Bred by Raffles Dancers NZ Ltd, Imperatriz was bought at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $360,000 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis and she is out of the Group 3-placed mare Berimbau (Shamardal {USA}).
Imperatriz as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Berimbau herself is a half-sister to Listed winner Vinco (I Am Invincible), while further back this is the same family as Group 2 winner Royal Courtship (Royal Academy {USA}).
Hard Empire causes Missile boilover
Hardy gelding Hard Empire (Hard Spun {USA}) caused a major boilover with a shock victory in Saturday’s feature G2 Missile S. at Randwick.
The Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained gelding, who was priced at $101, hadn’t won a race in over 600 days prior to toppling a quality field, which featured multiple Group 1 heroine Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) and Golden Eagle runner-up Count De Rupee (Real Impact {Jpn}).
Hard Empire storms home to win the G2 Missile S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Ridden by Rachel King, Hard Empire settled back in the field before running over the top of the Australian Bloodstock-owned trio in Wandabaa (Wandjina), Gem Song (Your Song) and Enchanted Heart (Shamus Award).
In winning the Group 2 on Saturday, Hard Empire snapped a losing streak that stretched back to his victory in the 2020 edition of the G3 George Moore S., with the gelding have previously taken out the G3 RN Irwin S. in 2019.
“He travelled super the whole way, they took the blinkers off him today and being an older horse I think it just sparked him up a little bit,” King told Sky Racing.
“He (Hard Empire) travelled super the whole way, they took the blinkers off him today and being an older horse I think it just sparked him up a little bit.” - Rachel King
“Toby and Trent (Edmonds) were confident he was in good form, nothing went right for him last start and it was worth a throw at the stumps today and he proved them right.”
An $11,000 2015 Magic Million Adelaide Yearling Sale purchase by Charles White from the draft of Maluka Thoroughbreds, Hard Empire is out of the unraced Last Tycoon (Ire) mare Last Quill, who herself is a half-sister to the dam of the G3 Maribyrnong Plate-winning, G1 Blue Diamond S. fourth-placed Power Trip (Hard Spun {USA}).
A Sirius win in the Aurie’s Star
Ever-consistent sprinter Sirius Suspect (Wanted) added another Group success to his resume by the way of Saturday’s feature G3 Aurie’s Star H. at Flemington.
Trained by Saab Hasan and carrying the silks of Darren Dance’s Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, Sirius Suspect proved too good for a quality field beating home the Bob Peters-owned Stageman (Written Tycoon) and Queensland raider Shooting For Gold (Shooting To Win).
Sirius Suspect continued his winning ways when victorius in the G3 Aurie's Star H. at Flemington | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
China Horse Club’s last-start G3 Bletchingly S. winner King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible), who was having his first look down the straight, finished fourth in the 1200-metre contest.
“This horse has kept us in the circuit,” Hasan said.
“The team have struggled since moving to Tabilk. My partner and I had a little girl and we moved up there and we have been trading water.
“I could not train this horse in the metropolitan area. He was a very hot-horse and moving to Tabilk has made all the difference in the world. He is an 8-year-old getting better.
Saab Hasan | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“ATB (Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock) and the owners made a big call to give him to us.
“He means everything, I was probably more nervous today than the Newmarket because I felt the track may have been too sticky for him.”
Bred and retained by Darren and Elizabeth Dance and Partners, Sirius Suspect is out of the Galileo (Ire) mare Sirius Miss, who hails from the family of G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Vega One (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
