Cover image courtesy of Michael McInally
An auspicious winner on debut at Kembla Grange in July last year, eight starts later Think About It is a Group 1 hero and has secured a spot in the $15 million The Everest courtesy of the newly acquired Newgate slot.
The Newgate slot has changed hands from GPI Racing in a permanent arrangement.
Think About It, a son of the Champion galloper So You Think (NZ), was bred by Lighting Thoroughbreds; he was a $70,000 yearling purchase by Proven Thoroughbreds and Joe Pride Racing from the draft of Newgate Farm at the 2020 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Think About It as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The now gelded 4-year-old entered training at Joe Pride’s Warwick Farm stables and was put through his paces in two trials at Warwick Farm and Hawkesbury in July 2022 before being sent to Kembla Grange late in July for a smart debut victory by 2l.
Think About moved to Class 1 company at Wyong and posted another victory before his winning run ended in BM72 company at his home track of Warwick Farm, but it wouldn’t take the gelding long to bounce back.
Returning to the races in January at Warwick Farm in BM72 company, Think About It made amends and again at Rosehill and Randwick in BM78 and BM88 company, Pride seemingly knew he had a high-quality galloper on his hands but was eager to place the gelding through his grades until his last three starts.
Think About It winning at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Lining up for the G3 Liverpool City Cup at Randwick was the most challenging test to date for Think About It. Still, he handled the class rise with aplomb on a day that included Anamoe winning the G1 Chipping Norton S. The victory of Think About It would not go unnoticed.
Pride elected to freshen Think About It after the Liverpool City Club returned the gelding to races in the Listed Takeover Target S. at Gosford. As we’ve become accustomed, Think About It finished the victor.
Group 1 glory
A Listed and Group 3 victory in less than 10 starts is no mean feat, it takes an above-average horse to do so; however, a Group 1 triumph?
Pride was keen on his charge and, showing the ultimate faith, ran his eight-start veteran at start nine in the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup, taking on seasoned campaigners like Rothfire (Rothesay) and stablemate Eduardo (Host {Chi}). It wasn’t expected to be as easy as it visually appeared, but proving himself of a rare class, Think About It cemented himself a Group 1 winner at start nine.
With the G1 Stradbroke H. on the radar on June 10 at Eagle Farm, bigger riches lay ahead when Newgate announced that their newly acquired slot for the $15 million race, reported by The Herald Sun, to rise to $20 million, The Everest on October 14, would be filled by Pride’s progressive galloper.
“After much discussion with my Newgate co-owners Gavin Murphy and Matthew Sandblom, we are absolutely thrilled to have secured Think About It in our slot for the world’s greatest sprint race. He was a horse bred by the Kolivos family and born and raised on the hills of Newgate Farm, so he is a very meaningful horse for us to have secured,” said Newgate’s Managing Director Henry Field.
“I’ve had a long relationship with Jamie Walter, who I have the utmost respect for, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have the Newgate and Proven Thoroughbreds brands aligned.”
“He (Think About It) was a horse bred by the Kolivos family and born and raised on the hills of Newgate Farm, so he is a very meaningful horse for us to have secured.” - Henry Field
Newgate has secured GPI’s Everest slot. “Barb and I are so pleased that Newgate has taken over our Everest slot, and we will stay partners with them going forward. We were so thrilled to be a part of this incredible concept from its inception. We look forward to being a part of The Everest going forward with Henry and the Newgate family,” said Greg Ingham.
Jamie Walter of Proven Thoroughbreds, who picked up Think About It, is hoping the son of So You Think (NZ) can better the outstanding effort of Private Eye (Al Maher) in 2023.
“We’re thrilled to be competing on the big Everest stage again and with such an exciting prospect after Private Eye went so close last year. For a $70,000 yearling, Think About It is giving us all a tremendous ride and good karma being involved with Newgate’s Henry Field and Greg and Barb Ingham, both of whom we’ve known for many years. Newgate is a contemporary powerhouse in the racing industry, and Think About It won’t be the last good horse we buy from their farm,” Proven Thoroughbreds’ Jamie Walter said.
“For a $70,000 yearling, Think About It is giving us all a tremendous ride... Newgate is a contemporary powerhouse in the racing industry, and Think About It won’t be the last good horse we buy from their farm.” - Jamie Walter
With the likes of the defending Champion Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) unsurprisingly already having been secured to run in The Everest, and despite it only being June, the race is already shaping up to be once again one of the most anticipated of the year.
Think About It is the best runner from the Flying Spur mare Tiare. She is a half-sister to the G2 Gilgai S. winner Keen Array (Bel Esprit) and hails from the family of Sky Field (Deep Field), who won the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint.
