Written by Trent Masenhelder
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Impressive midweek winner Critique (Written Tycoon) will be aimed towards the $1 million The Showdown at Sandown-Hillside on April 22.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt broke through at the second time of asking on Wednesday, taking out Race 1 - a 2YO Mdn Plate (1100 metres) - at Ballarat.
Bred by Go Bloodstock, who have been enjoying a sensational run of late, Critique was consigned by Newgate Farm at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing paid $775,000 for him. As well as his purchasers, the colt is raced by Go Bloodstock, Aristia Park Bloodstock, Yu Long Investments and others, many of who are in Saturday’s G1 Inglis Sires’ hero Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}).
Critique as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We’ve had a great run with the 2-year-olds that we have bred, with Critique being one of those, and the ones with (Newgate Farm’s) Henry (Field) are going equally as well. Between the two, we’ve had a lot of good luck of late, so it’s been great,” Go Bloodstock’s director, Steve O’Connor, told TDN AusNZ.
After finishing midfield on debut at Randwick-Kensington on March 22, Critique seemed to take plenty of improvement from that run, both physically and mentally.
Sent straight to the front under Jordan Childs, the colt was never fully tested, scoring easily in 1:04.02 on the Good 4 surface.
Critique | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I thought he was quite dominant and professional, as you would expect of Gai and Adrian, and he put them away in the style of a good horse,” O’Connor added.
“We thought he would have run a bit better on debut, but he’s run to form (on Wednesday). He showed good improvement for that experience.
“We think he’s a talented colt and the plan all along is to get him to The Showdown. If he pulls up well, if he’s right and Gai is happy with him, that’s still very much the plan, it’s a big-money race and he should be a strong chance in it.”
“We think he’s (Critique) a talented colt and the plan all along is to get him to The Showdown. If he pulls up well, if he’s right and Gai (Waterhouse) is happy with him, that’s still very much the plan, it’s a big-money race and he should be a strong chance in it.” - Steve O'Connor
Critique posted a 3l margin, with Zondee (Snitzel) second and Ferghana (Exceed And Excel) third.
“We thought he would come here and do that today and it was good to see him get the job done,” Childs told Racing.com.
“He is a very nice horse in the making. He gives me the feeling that he’s going to be even nicer again next time in, just when he strengthens up and matures a bit more, but he’s definitely heading in the right direction.”
Critique is the third foal from the winning Snitzel mare Slumber Party, who is a granddaughter of the Group 2 placegetter Hanky Panky (Anabaa {USA}) and closely related to the stakes winners Come Hither (Redoute’s Choice), Fun In Flight (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) and Master Ash (Sebring). This is the same family as Not A Single Doubt.
Slumber Party finished second in the 2015 G3 BJ McLachlan S. and third in the 2015 Listed Gimcrack S., before being consigned by Arrowfield Stud at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale (Book 1), where Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Sir Owen Glenn went to $800,000.
Her first foal was named Wake Up Call (Capitalist), but has since been re-named to Savvy Chic since being exported to Hong Kong, where he is a winner, while her second, Artie’s Lad (Flying Artie) is a Cairns victor.
“It’s very pleasing for the mare,” said O’Connor. “She was a very precocious, talented, sprinting mare by Snitzel. We thought the mating would suit and it’s great to see it’s worked out with a precocious runner.
“It’s very pleasing for the mare. She (Slumber Party) was a very precocious, talented, sprinting mare by Snitzel. We thought the mating would suit and it’s great to see it’s worked out with a precocious runner (Critique).” - Steve O’Connor
“The older sibling ended up in Hong Kong, he was really fast, as well.
“She’s all about speed and precocity and he’s bred to be a good one.
“We were excited when we sold him that we were able to race him with Henry, China Horse Club and the whole gang, it’s worked out well.”
Slumber Party has a Zoustar weanling filly on the ground and was covered by Home Affairs last spring.
