Written by Trent Masenhelder
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
New Zealand’s Champion Second Season Sire of 2022/23 has his first winner of the new season, after the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Raf Attack (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) - broke through at the second time of asking.
Raf Attack was sixth on debut at Newcastle on July 8 in what is proving to be a hot form race, with the runner-up Andronicus (I Am Invincible) winning at his next start (a Kembla Grange maiden).
Unlike his first start, the colt was able to find the front and, after being cuddled by Regan Bayliss, he was strong to the line, owning a 2.63l margin at the finish.
Raf Attack is from the winless Commands mare Sima. She was offered by Godolphin, in foal to Hallowed Crown, at the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale. Waterford Bloodstock (BAFNZ) signed for her for $55,000 on behalf of Alan Galbraith QC - an Auckland-based lawyer who has a share in Rich Hill Stud.
Sima is a half-sister to the promising 3-year-old Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}) - a Listed winner at two, as well as the Listed scorer Solemn (Bernardini {USA}) and the stakes performer Honeywine (Street Cry {Ire}). Sima is also closely related to the Group 1 heroine La Volta (Laranto).
Raf Attack (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Galbraith sent Sima to Rich Hill’s shuttle stallion Satono Aladdin and the resultant foal, Raf Attack, was offered at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1). His trainers and Chris Rutten Bloodstock paid NZ$150,000 for him, with Galbraith retaining a share.
“He’s a nice horse and that was good, he won very well,” Galbraith told TTR AusNZ.
“He’s always been a nice horse. I can still remember when he came into the yearling barn and he was just a very nice horse.
“He’s (Raf Attack) always been a nice horse. I can still remember when he came into the yearling barn and he was just a very nice horse.” - Alan Galbraith QC
“He’s been promising all the way through and I think he will get better with time; he was never going to be a 2-year-old.
“He ran right through the line, so I think he will get further.
“Satono Aladdin was a nice horse in Japan and the Japanese horses are tough.
“He’s (Raf Attack) a son of the great Deep Impact and Sima has a top line of Danehill. Everything is obvious in hindsight, but there was a reason for sending her to Satono.”
“He’s (Satono Aladdin) a son of the great Deep Impact and Sima has a top line of Danehill. Everything is obvious in hindsight, but there was a reason for sending her to Satono.” - Alan Galbraith
Sima has a yearling brother to Raf Attack on the ground and she is back in foal to Satono Aladdin. That stallion will stand at Rich Hill Stud at a fee of NZ$45,000 (plus GST) this spring.
Raf Attack clocked 1:32.12 for the 1550 metres, dashing home his final 600 metres in 35.21.
Race favourite Le Chocolat (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) was second, with Agita (Adelaide {Ire}) third.
“That was more in line with the performance we were hoping to see from him (on debut). Obviously, he was well-supported and right in the market there first-up, but things didn’t necessarily go his way that day, he was a little bit lost,” Bott told Sky Racing.
Satono Aladdin (Jpn) | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
“He’s shown good improvement off the back of that, he was able to be a bit sharper today (Wednesday) and control things, and obviously stretching out in trip helped.
“I think he is a horse that is obviously going to keep improving over further, so just being able to control things and build into it and get into a nice rhythm was able to suit him, as opposed to trying to pick up and sprint last start.
“There’s a good bit of scope for him to improve and he is a lovely horse going forward.”
