Saturday summary: Cosmic's Stay Focused Diamond bound

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Cosmic Force colt books Diamond spot

The inaugural running of the Rex Gorell Geelong Diamond was held on Saturday at Geelong. With $150,000 up for grabs and a precious golden ticket into the G1 Blue Diamond in February, the event attracted an intriguing field of nine runners.

However, the Phillip Stokes-trained Stay Focused, a son of Newgate Farm’s first-season sire Cosmic Force, proved strongest at the conclusion of the 1100-metre event.

When partnered by Daniel Stackhouse, the colt showed plenty of tenacity and upside; he sprinted strongly to overpower the $1.3 million colt Trunk (Snitzel) from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable.

Stay Focused put a 2l margin between him and Trunk while finishing a further 4.75l was Markdel (Snitzel) for the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable.

The colt was a $190,000 pinhook by Blade Racing from the draft of Kingstar Farm at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale. Sledmere Stud reoffered Stay Focused at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Bennett Racing paid $250,000. The price made Stay Focused the most expensive yearling from the first crop of Cosmic Force.

Nathan Bennett of Bennett Racing told Racing.com, “Jeez, how he (Stay Focused) did that; that was exciting. I think he’s a very good horse. From the day we purchased him, we’ve just loved him.

“He was the highest-priced Cosmic Force for the season. We’ve gone hard on the sire and actually put a couple of mares in foal to him because we loved Stay Focused so much. He was very impressive, lengthened out, and has great stride on him.

“I think he loves himself, he almost says, 'Look at me’, he knows he’s good. It’s always special to win on your first start, but when you also get an exemption-free ticket into the Blue Diamond, it’s even better.”

Stay Focused is the ninth foal from the Galileo (Ire) mare Coral Reef. She won two races from 1750 to 1900 metres and is the dam of the Group 3-placed Miss Moana and the Listed-placed Hollywood Mo, both by Uncle Mo (USA).

Cosmic Force, a son of the pensioned Deep Field, won the G3 Pago Pago S. as an autumn 2-year-old and trained on to secure the G2 Roman Consul S. He has had eight runners to the track for two winners of three races, while his son Beer Baron was second in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery on debut.

Spywire books ticket to Millions

Spywire (Trapeze Artist) burst into R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic calculations with a visually impressive victory in the Aquis Gold Nugget on Saturday at the Gold Coast. The 2-year-old colt, ridden by Craig Williams, showed sustained speed over 1100 metres.

Jumping well, the son of Trapeze Artist was given his head to lead in the small field. Sensing Spywire was travelling comfortably, the opposition attempted to put some pressure on the colt, making a three-horse line rounding into the Gold Coast straight. However, Williams clicked his mount into second gear, and it was race over.

Finishing in second and third were the Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Defiant Boom (Spirit Of Boom) from the Stuart Kendrick yard. Meanwhile, Cosmic Fire (Cosmic Force) finished fourth.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eusatce-trained Spywire was arguably unlucky last start at Wyong in the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic. The colt, raced by a group that includes Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neill, carries the silks of Coolangatta (Written Tycoon), who took out the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in 2021.

Co-trainer Maher told Sky Racing, “The plan was to have a trial and a nice gallop into the Magic Millions, but with the weather, we decided to give Spywire an easy gallop on the synthetic track and use this race (Aquis Gold Nugget) to bring him up to the mark.

“You can see he is a fresh horse, and I thought the race seven days out would help him, especially going to the 1200 metres of the Classic.

“I think with today’s (Saturday) run under his belt, he’ll be spot on. We will just tick him over this week, probably get him up to the beach and do sorta Gold Coast things with him.”

The colt’s dam is the Denman mare Secret Trial - a victress of five races, including the Listed Bright Shadow H.

Spywire was a $520,000 purchase by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Arabian Summer is off and gone!

Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}) stamped her dominance over the 2-year-old fillies in the Aquis Gold Pearl on Saturday at the Gold Coast.

The pouring rain was the weather akin to the conditions where Tony and Calvin McEvoy found themselves winning the Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic last start in December with the promising filly.

Unperturbed Arabian Summer coasted away from her opposition with Harry Coffey in the saddle. Chasing hard but 2.3l adrift was Mishani Crown (Love Conquers All), while Moulin Miss (Spirit Of Boom) ran third.

The victory of Arabian Summer underlined the strength of the first- and second-season sires in Australasia. Spywire, a son of the second-season sire Trapeze Artist, took out the Aquis Gold Nugget one race earlier at the Gold Coast. While in Victoria, Cosmic Force, a first-season stallion, sired the Rex Gorell Geelong Diamond victor Stay Focused.

Arabian Summer’s sire, the Darley-based Too Darn Hot, a son of the incredible Dubawi (Ire), was an exceptional galloper and a Champion 2-Year-Old. The John Gosden-trained galloper claimed the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket and added the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster and the G3 Solario S. at Sandown Park.

Encouraging for his progeny's prospects as they age, Too Darn Hot showed his class to train on to secure the G1 Sussex S. and the G1 Prix Jean Prat as a 3-year-old.

Too Darn Hot has sired three Southern Hemisphere winners from five runners, with Arabian Summer being his standout galloper to date. Her dam, the Street Cry (Ire) mare Maraam, won three races at 1200 metres and is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Derryn.

The filly was a $220,000 purchase by McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Coolmore Stud is set to offer the Wootton Bassett (GB) half-sister to Arabian Summer on Friday, January 12, as Lot 914 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Va Via too classy in Black Pearl

A classy proposition from day one, Va Via (Astern) added a well-deserved stakes success to her CV in Saturday’s Listed Black Pearl S. at Geelong. The James Cummings-trained and Godolphin homebred resumed with a first-up fourth at Randwick in a BM88 before heading to Victoria to secure her stakes success.

Ridden by Damian Lane, Va Via was too strong in the concluding stages for Danny’s St Darci (All Too Hard) and Megamea (Master Of Design). Va Via is the third foal from the Street Cry (Ire) mare Transfers, who is the dam of the G1 Spring Champion S. victor Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) and the Listed winner Promotions (Exceed And Excel).

Va Via is the 11th stakes winner for Astern, who stands at Darley. The Listed Black Pearl S. is the fifth win for Va Via from 20 starts.

Zoustar’s Arts Object wins The TAB Wave

A last-start second in BM65 company at the Sunshine Coast, the Kurt Goldman-trained Arts Object (Zoustar) was a surprise winner of the $250,000 The TAB Wave on Saturday at the Gold Coast.

The 4-year-old daughter of Widden Stud’s Zoustar, partnered by Angela Jones, was strong to the line in the 1800-metre feature on the Gold Coast. Chasing gamely was Lee Freedman’s Encoder (Encryption), a last-start winner of the G3 Grand Prix S. he was followed by Ain’t He Grand (Sebring) from the Tony Gollan stable.

Arts Object is from the Street Cry (Ire) mare Ringhals. She retired unraced but was a $500,000 purchase by Darley Australia from the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Ringhals is the dam of the Listed Macau Derby winner Simon Fubuki (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).

Ringhals is a daughter of the Black Mamba (NZ). The daughter of Black Minnaloushe (USA) won seven races from 1600 to 2400 metres, including the G1 John C Mabee H.

Arts Object was purchased by Kurt Goldman for $100,000 from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Reoffered through the 2022 Inglis December Online Sale as part of The Late Alan Cardy Dispersal Sale, Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) purchased Arts Object for $55,000.

London’s Image too slick

The Ryan Hill-trained London’s Image (Headwater) was far too slick for her opposition on Saturday at Ascot in the Magic Millions Plate over 1000 metres.

It was third time lucky London’s Image, ridden by Chris Parnham, she defeated Lyn’s Star (War Chant {USA}) by 2.5l, with Champagne Coast (Safeguard) finishing third.

London’s Image is from the More Than Ready (USA) mare New Image. She won six races from 1000 to 2000 metres, including the Listed Belmont Oaks and the Listed Matchmaker Classic. New Image is a full sister to the classy Perfect Reflection, a victress of the G1 Kingston Town Classic and six other events.

The filly was a $20,000 purchase by Ryan Hill Racing from the draft of Holbrook Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.