Saturday summary continued: Velocious provides Tycoon stakes winner 57

Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Tycoon filly stamps dominance

Cambridge-based horseman Stephen Marsh’s speedy filly Velocious (Written Tycoon) stamped her dominance with an electric victory in the Listed Counties Challenge S. at Pukekohe Park, putting her name in the lights as a leading contender for the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO in the new year.

The daughter of Written Tycoon, ridden by Sam Spratt, beat the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) by 1.5l, while the race favourite Poetic Champion (NZ) (Super Seth) finished third 2.3l away.

Velocious' win stamped a fantastic run for Albert Bosma and Patrick Vinaccia’s Go Racing, who raced G1 Champion S. victress Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) to grand success during the spring carnival.

The filly also provided her Champion Sire Written Tycoon with his 57th stakes winner and the second bred on the Snitzel cross for the Yulong sire. Velocious is the second foal from the Snitzel mare Parmalove, a winner of two races, including once as a juvenile; she is the dam of the Listed-placed Penvose Lad (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}).

Velocious is related to the Listed Alinghi S. victress Liesele (Exceed And Excel), who won nine races. The filly was bred and offered by Inglewood Stud at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, where Go Racing purchased her for NZ$190,000.

Tassort’s terrific start

Racing fans arguably never got to see the best of the Godolphin-bred and -raced Tassort on the track. The son of Brazen Beau was limited to just two starts, winning once by 5l in the Golden Gift and placing in the G2 Silver Slipper S. before he was retired.

Tassort’s X-factor, alongside his blue-blooded pedigree, appealed greatly to Herny Field's Newgate Farm. He is a son of the outstanding producer Essaouira (Exceed And Excel) and a half-brother to the Group 1 winners Astern and Alizee (Sepoy), saw Newgate Farm, in partnership with Emirates Park, take a punt on the colt.

Bruce Slade, Newgate’s director of bloodstock, said at the time, “I think it's going to come as a little bit of a shock and a surprise to the market that he is standing under the Newgate banner, but he's a horse we just felt deserved his chance,” Slade said.

“He raced in the Godolphin colours, and I think everyone's first memory of the horse is that he is that X-factor horse who was the early favourite for the Golden Slipper. Everyone was so excited after his debut to see where he'd go and where he'd get to, but unfortunately, due to injury, he was never able to fulfil the potential that he had shown on debut.”

Fast forward to 2023, and the first crop of Tassort has reached the racetrack and is lighting it up. From a foal crop of 99, Tassort has been represented by five runners and three individual winners for four race wins. Among them are the G3 Gimcrack S. victress Manaal and the Clinton Taylor-trained Astapor, who made it two from two on Saturday at Doomben.

The 2-year-old colt was an impressive 4.8l victor on debut at Rockhampton, which urged Taylor to test the colt in ‘the big smoke’ of Brisbane’s Doomben Racecourse. Astapor, ridden by Justin Stanley, was again a dominant 3l winner over Mishani Ego (Kobayashi) and Mishani Eclipse (Sun City).

The colt is the first foal of the dual juvenile winner Black Mink (Lonhro) and was a $38,000 purchase by the Livistona Grazing Company when offered by Telemon Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Things would go from exciting to extraordinary later in the day, with speedy gelding Onemoretwomany providing Tassort a double from the two metropolitan 2-year-old races run on Saturday.

Rolling straight to the front under Laqdar Ramoly, the talented galloper gave nothing else a chance when turning for home, extending through his gears strongly to record a 1.8l win.

Out of Hinchinbook mare Hazlebrook, a speedy winner over 800 metres when in training, and already a prolific producer, with Group 2 winner Wollombi (Extreme Choice) on her record.

Purchased for $70,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, he has recouped his purchase price from just two race starts.

Satono denies Berlin in thriller

The well-related Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) was able to get the better of the speedy Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) in the 1100-metre G3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl at Pukekohe Park.

The 4-year-old from the Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley’s Byerley Park stable is one of six stakes winners for the Rich Hill Stud-based Satono Aladdin (Jpn) and claimed his second Group 3 success beating Ben and Ryan Foote-trained Babylon Berlin, while Te Akau Racing’s Group 1 winner Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) finished nicely into third.

“It was a very good win, Sacred Satono tried very hard and stuck his head out at the right time,” co-trainer Cooksley told local media after the success.

“I thought he would be very hard to beat off his work, he’s been working well. Sacred Satono has grown up a lot. We were very happy coming into today (Saturday), he will improve with that run as well.”

The 4-year-old entire is from the six-time winner Belle Joie (NZ) (Mellifont {USA}), who is a half-sister to the Champion galloper King Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire {GB}).

Belle Joie is also closely related to the dam of The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), a victor of 10 races, including the G1 Canterbury S. and the G1 Queensland Derby winner Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

Sacred Satono has won five races, including the G3 New Zealand Bonecrusher S., and was placed in this race last year before taking out the event this year. Bred by Archer Equine Investments, he was offered by Rich Hill Stud at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, where Wallace Thoroughbreds paid NZ$34,000.

Cranbourne Cup goes the way of Charterhouse

The fairytale conclusion to the spring for Declan Bates continued on Saturday, who partnered the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Charterhouse (GB) (Charming Thought {GB}) to take out the Listed Cranbourne Cup.

Afforded a patient ride by Bates, Charterhouse responded when striking clear air, bounding home late to record victory over Foxy Cleopatra (American Pharoah {USA}) and Just Folk (Magnus), the latter having gone for home early in the straight.

The 0.2l margin was enough to give Charterhouse his first victory in Australia, having raced in Ireland until 2022. The victory provides Charming Thought (GB) his first Australian winner, as well as his second overall black-type winner. Out of Royal Applause (GB) mare Crocos Rose (GB), herself a three-time winner when in racing, he has been her most successful foal of five to race.

Now having won five of 24 career starts, the 6-year-old gelding had last contested the G1 Toorak H., a race in which he was unable to influence the final result. Dropping from Group 1 company down to Listed level was clearly appreciated, with Bates timing his run perfectly.

Purchased for 130,000gns (AU$261,300) out of the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, the victory gives him a good grounding to continue an upwards trajectory.

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace enjoyed a strong conclusion to the card, with progressive 4-year-old Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) winning nicely under Craig Williams, who went one better than his Cranbourne Cup second placing.

Cup Day double for Beau

Darley’s Brazen Beau sired a double on Saturday’s Cranbourne Cup Day. His 5-year-old son Taunting proved much too speedy for Midwest (Zoustar) and Generation (Snitzel) in the $150,000 Apache Cat Classic.

The South Australian-based Michael Hickmott purchased Taunting for $230,000 under his Michael Hickmott Bloodstock banner from the draft of Flinders Park Stud at the 2020 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Taunting is the third foal from the Northern Meteor mare Probationary, a winner of three races. Probationary has a 2-year-old unraced colt by Supervise (Russian Revolution), who was purchased for $100,000 by MJ Willams Training and Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA). According to Arion, Probationary was served by Widden Stud’s Jacquinot in September this season.

Earlier on the card the Brazen Beau-sired Pink Beau Ty took out Race 5 over 1000 metres for local trainer Brian McGrath. The progressive 4-year-old entire, ridden by Craig Williams, was tenacious in holding Luna Cat (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) at bay.

Pink Beau Ty is the first foal from the unraced New Approach (Ire) mare Pink Avenue. She has an unnamed filly by Darley’s Blue Point (Ire) and was covered by Swettenham Stud’s Wooded (Ire) last season.

Lloyd claims consecutive wins in The Warra

The meteoric ascendancy of top apprentice Zac Lloyd continued on Saturday, partnering speedster Insurrection (Russian Revolution) to victory in The Warra, the second of the rich races on the Kembla Grange program.

Lloyd, who tasted success in this race last year aboard Athelric (Exceed And Excel), was keen to make best use of his horses early speed, booting through to lead. Accelerating into the corner, he stole an unassailable margin, with a large pack behind chasing in vain.

The win improves Insurrection’s record to six wins from 18 starts, the Michael Freedman-trained gelding benefitting from shrewd placement throughout his career. A victor by 2l on Saturday, it is his biggest win to date, justifying the patient approach taken with him.

He is out of Not A Single Doubt mare Marple Miss, and was purchased by syndicator Darby Racing for $150,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Running into second when the race was over, Quick Tempo (Rubick) was an eye-catcher, approaching the winning post from closer to the outside rail. He got past Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}), who followed the eventual winner into the corner but couldn’t match his turn of speed.

Childs has memorable day at Cranbourne

Group 1-winning jockey Jordan Childs had a day to savour on the confines of the Cranbourne track, securing a treble with a collection of perfectly executed rides.

Things started positively for Childs in the third race of the program, steering Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) to a breakthrough victory, the mare having last won in the G2 Kewney S. at Flemington in March.

Race 6 saw Childs able to navigate another competitor whose quality is betrayed by their winning record, getting Is It Me (Iffraaj {GB}) to the winning post just in time, avoiding a rampaging Bel Air (Written Tycoon) spoiling the party. The win justified a long commute for Warrnambool-based trainer Daniel Bowman, who said in the immediate aftermath, “He’s got stacks of ability, but he’s just so raw and immature, he does so much wrong, like he did at Bendigo.

“He missed the start and Oli (Damien Oliver) just had nowhere to go, but a great positive ride from Jordy (Childs) today, put him in a good spot and got there by a small margin.”

His best ride was arguably saved for last, securing victory aboard Foujita San (Maurice {Jpn}) in ‘The Lester’, the race honouring local identity Deane Lester, who passed away earlier this year. Bursting up the middle part of the Cranbourne straight, Childs took Glentaneous (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) and Gregolimo (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) on his way to a 0.8l win.

Childs told Racing.com after the win on Foujita San, “Blinkers going on today helped, and the Hawkes team certainly know what they’re doing, it’s great to get another win for them.”