Juvenile Saturday summary: Learning To Fly lands thrilling Inglis Millennium

11 min read
As we continue our Saturday summary, we shine a spotlight on the 2-year-old action at Randwick and Sandown-Hillside.

Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) produced a breathtaking performance to win the R. Listed Inglis Millennium, while Godolphin's hand in the G1 Blue Diamond S. looks strong as Barber (Exceed And Excel) and Exploring (Brazen Beau) dominated the Blue Diamond Preludes at Sandown-Hillside.

Learning To Fly justifies the hype

The Annabel Neasham-trained Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) turned heads when she broke her maiden in the G3 Widden S. last month and she more than justified that hype when overcoming a wide barrier to win the R. Listed Inglis Millennium at Randwick on Saturday.

Tom Magnier walks in Learning To Fly after winning the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

After breaking cleanly from gate 15, the filly was settled on the outside by Chad Schofield, who was happy to sit on the wide outside. As the field rounded the turn, Learning To Fly showed she was aptly named, storming down the outside to swoop the $2 million honours and come away with a 0.27l win over Blanc De Blanc (I Am Invincible). Kundalini (I Am Invincible) ran another solid race to finish third.

There was midrace drama, however, as the winner’s stablemate Dorothy Gail (Capitalist) was caught up in some interference at the 250-metre mark, causing the filly and her jockey Tom Marquand to fall. The filly escaped unscathed and Marquand was conscious but was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with a suspected shoulder injury and concussion. Josh Parr was slapped with a 20-meeting ban for his involvement in the incident.

Falling that event, there were mixed emotions for Neasham after the race, who was more concerned about the well-being of Marquand than celebrating her brilliant win and training performance.

Annabel Neasham and Learning To Fly | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

“It's a funny moment, you win a race but your friend and rider (jockey Tom Marquand) is down on the track,” Neasham said. “I hope he's okay.”

While Neasham was yet to fully digest Learning To Fly's feat, she was full of praise for a ‘very special’ filly.

“I'll have to watch it again, my eyes were split,” she said. “But she had a lot of work to do from the draw and probably the way the track was playing today (Saturday), that horses were making up ground, it made me a little bit more confident.

“I have to pinch myself a little bit. I'm almost speechless to win a big race like that in those colours, it's very special.”

“I have to pinch myself a little bit. I'm almost speechless to win a big race like that ($2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium) in those (Coolmore) colours, it's very special.” - Annabel Neasham

Kia Ora paid $900,000 for the filly at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last year when she was offered by Coolmore, who retained a share in the youngster.

“To the staff’s credit back at the farm, they earmarked this filly from day one as the best of all of them and from what we’ve seen so far, she looks extremely special and possibly the filly of her time,’’ Coolmore's Tom Magnier said.

“What Annabel has done with her is nothing short of extraordinary. She’s weaved her magic and turned this filly into the star she is today.

“She’s in the Slipper now, with some of this Inglis prizemoney counting toward qualification so we’ll set out a path now toward there and hopefully become the first Millennium winner to win the Slipper.’’

Kia Ora’s Shane Wright said he always thought the filly had star quality.

“We knew she was an exceptional filly so while you never expect to see that, it’s always a delight to sit back and watch a win like that with a very, very special filly,’’ Wright said.

“When we drew barrier 19 I think everybody was a bit flat but once we looked at things and decided to run, we knew we’d need a great ride by Chad [Schofield] and while he was obviously wide, he always had cover and just let the filly come into the race.

“At the top of the straight, she was still a way off them but I always thought deep down she was good enough to round them up and it’s amazing to see her do it.’’

In winning the Millennium, Learning To Fly earned her connections a new Ferrari, as part of a Coolmore promotion at last year’s yearling sales for the first progeny of Justify (USA) to one of 16 races they earmarked, and the $2 million was one of them.

“The keys are in my pocket at the moment but we’ll work out the next few days who gets the car,’’ Wright said.

Learning To Fly is out of Group 3 winner Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock), who is herself a daughter of Hips Don’t Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) - the dam of Listed scorer Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock) and Acrobat, who won the R. Listed Inglis Nursery and now stands at Coolmore Stud.

Sebastian Hutch and Tom Magnier with the keys to the Ferrari | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Justify stood his first season in the Hunter Valley for a private fee, before being offered to breeders at a fee of $66,000 (inc GST) the following year and at $55,000 (inc GST) in 2021. The stallion was rested from shuttling duties last season and is expected to return to Australia for the 2023 breeding season.

A winner of the US Triple Crown, Justify made an excellent start to his career in the Northern Hemisphere, siring 29 winners headed by six stakes scorers including Statuette (USA), who landed the G2 Airlie Stud S.

Godolphin and Exceed dominate Diamond Preludes

Trainer James Cummings and Godolphin dominated the 2-year-old races at Sandown-Hillside on Saturday as Barber (Exceed And Excel) kept his unblemished record intact in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude for colts and geldings, while half an hour later his stablemate Exploring (Brazen Beau) ran out a ready winner of the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude for the fillies.

Both horses showcased Exceed And Excel’s extraordinary talents as both a sire and a broodmare sire. In winning the race, Barber provided the stallion with his 207th stakes winner and later on in the afternoon Pounding added another stakes win to Exceed And Excel's haul, moving it to 208, when she won the G3 Carlyon Cup at Sandown-Hillside.

Exceed And Excel | Standing at Darley

Exploring is also part of the Exceed And Excel story, being out of Cristobal, who is a winning daughter the Darley stalwart stallion and hands him his 80th stakes winner as a broodmare sire.

Not seen since his victory in the Golden Gift, Barber moved smoothly through the gears and hit the front with 100 metres left to travel and was able to hold off any challengers, to come away with a 0.3l win over Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}), while the winner’s stablemate Corniche (Fastnet Rock) finished third.

Barber will now get the chance to become the second Godolphin-owned horse in as many years to win the G1 Blue Diamond S. following up the victory of Daumier (Epaulette) last year, while they also landed in the race in 2019 with Lyre (Lonhro).

Barber kept his unblemished record intact when storming home to win the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings) at Sandown-Hillside | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Winning jockey Jamie Kah said she had no mount locked in for the Group 1, but would currently be siding with the colt.

“I don’t have anything locked in but he’s definitely on top at the moment,’’ she said. “I have to speak to my manager, but after that performance, he’s the one I’d want to be on. He’s such a professional. He showed his versatility today as he jumped and put himself there (on speed).

“He got there so easy, so I just sat as quietly as a could on him for as long as I could, because it’s a very long straight with that second winning post.’’

“...after that performance, he’s (Barber) the one I’d want to be on (in the G1 Blue Diamond S.). He’s such a professional. He showed his versatility today (Saturday) as he jumped and put himself there (on speed).’’ - Jamie Kah

Bred by Godolphin, the colt is out of the Group 3-winning Lonhro mare Trim, who sadly died 15 days after foaling Barber in 2020, and her progeny is lead by his sister Manicure, whose four victories were headlined by a win in the G3 How Now S.

When Exceed And Excel is mated to daughters of his barnmate Lonhro it has proved a successful nick, producing 33 winners from 46 runners and Barber becomes the sixth stakes winner bred on the cross.

Exploring could join her stablemate in the G1 Blue Diamond S. at Sandown Lakeside on February 25 after she defeated Party For Two (Sidestep) by 1l, while Extreme Threat (Extreme Choice) came home in third.

Exploring leads all the way to win the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) at Sandown-Hillside | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The G3 Ottawa S. winner Charm Stone (I Am Invincible), who was heading the betting for the G1 Blue Diamond S., finished a disappointing sixth.

Cummings' Melbourne foreman Sean Keogh said Exploring deserved her shot at the G1 Blue Diamond S.

“The choices are there and on what she's done today she'll acquit herself really well,’’ Keogh said.

“The choices (for the G1 Blue Diamond S.) are there and on what she's (Exploring) done today (Saturday) she'll acquit herself really well.’’ - Sean Keogh

“That will be up to James and the team to really cement a decision with only a fortnight away to the big one.’’

By Darley-based sire Brazen Beau, Exploring is out of winning mare Cristobal (Exceed And Excel) and hails from the same family as dual Group 1 winner and now Widden Stud-based sire Trapeze Artist and Group 2 scorer Marching (Commands).

Exploring becomes the 22nd stakes winner and second in 24 hours for Brazen Beau, who was handed his 21st black-type winner on Friday when his daughter Belsielle landed the G3 Bow Mistress S. at Hobart.

Brazen Beau | Standing at Darley

Cafe Millenium enters Slipper reckoning

Trainer John O’Shea always suspected Cafe Millenium, a colt from the final crop of Arrowfield Stud’s late sire Not A Single Doubt, had a touch of star quality and the juvenile more than lived up to his trainer's lofty expectations when he showed an electric turn of foot to come from the back of the field to making a winning debut in the Pierro Plate at Randwick on Saturday.

Ridden by visiting jockey Tom Marquand, the colt was out the back as the field made its way up the straight. However, as Marquand began to urge him for his effort he responded in fine style to come away with a 1.27l victory over Remedies (Sepoy), while Empress Of Wonder (Choisir) was another 0.3l away in third.

Cafe Millenium shows an electric turn of foot to win the Pierro Plate at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

After the race, O’Shea was understandably impressed with the victory and said the colt was still learning.

“We’ve always thought very highly of him,” said O’Shea. “And as you can see, he’s still a work in progress you know. He didn’t execute that well the first part of the race to be fair. He did get chopped out coming out of the gates, but he didn’t execute how we would’ve liked.

“We always knew he had the capacity to do what he did in the final part of the race but he really needs to learn his craft.

“We’ve always thought very highly of him (Cafe Millenium). We always knew he had the capacity to do what he did in the final part of the race but he really needs to learn his craft.” - John O'Shea

“He’s a big horse and that’s why we were keen to bring him to Randwick – we trialled him in the spring and then just put him away with the intention of coming here for the autumn and see what he had to offer. You’d have to be impressed with what you saw there.”

Bred and raced by Ron Finemore, the colt is out of the winning mare Veloce Forte (High Chaparral {Ire}) and she is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Gypsy Diamond (Not A Single Doubt).

Newhaven Park will offer the colt’s Pride Of Dubai half-brother at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale and he is catalogued as Lot 394.

Annabel Neasham
Learning To Fly
Justify
Godolphin
Barber
Exceed And Excel
Exploring
Brazen Beau
Cafe Millenium
Not A Single Doubt