Cover image courtesy of Racing Queensland
The 2-year-old event at Warwick Farm was filled with quality pedigreed individuals and it was the James Cummings trained, Godolphin owned pair who came out on top with 2-year-old colt Tarpaulin (Harry Angel {Ire}) galloping away to win by 2.4l from Diamond Firetail (Epaulette). The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained million dollar colt Trunk (Snitzel) was third.
“He’s a lovely colt,” said jockey Zac Lloyd post-race. “He ran into a very nice colt first up and acquitted himself well... I had a lot to do with him as a yearling and he done the job well today. He was travelling too well for these, a class above these and travelled up to the 400 and was in front a long way out.”
Tarpaulin debuted in October, running fourth, then ran second when first up this campaign behind Mawjood (Tassort) before today’s win.
His sire, Harry Angel, has had a fantastic season with his first crop of 3-year-olds with four stakes winners led by G1 Spring Champion S. winner Tom Kitten, Group 2 winner Stretan Angel and Listed winners Arkansaw Kid and War Machine (NZ). Tarpaulin becomes Harry Angel’s fourth juvenile winner from his second Australian crop.
“He’s a lovely colt... He ran into a very nice colt first up and acquitted himself well.”
Beautifully bred, Tarpaulin is the sixth winner from as many to race for city winning mare Shelters (Lonhro), and he is a half-brother to three stakes winners being G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint winner Aft Cabin (Astern), G3 PJ Bell S. winner Multaja (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and Listed winner Veranillo (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Shelters has a rising 2-year-old named Cavern (Brazen Beau) and a 2023 colt by Astern.
Freak Of Nature wins again
Featured in Looking Ahead, 3-year-old gelding Freak Of Nature (Snitzel) lived up to his lofty pedigree with his second win on the trot at Sandown. “We are hoping he can pick up a Saturday race off the back of today’s performance. We’ve held him in high regard since he arrived in the stable, and hopefully a spring campaign is not out of the equation,” said trainer Jason Warren’s stable representative Joe Herbert.
“He’s a beautiful horse. He had his confidence knocked about a bit with a wind operation and we sent him out to the paddock for a while. He’s come back a fresh horse and hit the ground running. We haven’t reached his ceiling yet.”
Sold by New Zealand’s Westbury Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $250,000 to trainer Jason Warren, Freak Of Nature is by four-time Champion Sire Snitzel.
Since that sale, his year younger half-brother Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) won this season’s G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. taking their dam’s record for six winners from seven runners. An older sibling, Discharged (Snitzel) won five races and placed in the G2 Shannon S.
The dam of Move To Strike and Freak Of Nature is G2 Let’s Elope S. winner No Evidence Needed, who won six of her 23 starts and was from a boom era, running fourth in the G1 BTC Cup behind Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), Hay List (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), and Buffering (Mossman).
Eagle Farm juvenile race won by debutant filly
Sunshine Coast trainer Jack Bruce took 2-year-old filly Data Scramble (Encryption) to Eagle Farm on Wednesday for her debut race, and she rewarded her trainer and jockey Jake Bayliss with a tight 0.16l victory over 2-year-old gelding Mister Bianco (Zousain) and 2-year-old gelding Bolshevic Road (Russian Revolution).
She becomes the third juvenile winner from Encryption’s second crop. His first crop of 3-year-olds includes Group 2 winner Cifrado and Group 3 winner Encoder.
Data Scramble is the second foal of unraced mare Ah La Boom (Spirit Of Boom) who is a half-sister to G1 Queensland Oaks winner Tinto (Red Dazzler) whose seven wins earned her over $1.4million. Tinto’s first two foals are both winners including stakes placed winner Teranga (Sebring), and Colours (I Am Invincible) who was a winner on debut and is the dam of a rising 2-year-old filly by Lonhro and a weanling colt by Blue Point (Ire).
Nicely bred Spiritual Song wins on debut
Eagle Farm saw the debut outing for Tony Gollan trained 3-year-old filly Spiritual Song (Spirit Of Boom) who won for jockey Angela Jones by 0.76l from 3-year-old filly Edge Of Seventeen (Snitzel) and 3-year-old filly Winning Edition (Winning Rupert).
Owned by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds and Gerry Harvey, Spiritual Song was purchased by Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) and Segenhoe Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $440,000 from the Westbury Stud draft.
Proven sire Spirit of Boom has 27 stakes winners with Group 3 winner De Sonic Boom also being out of a Fastnet Rock mare like Spiritual Song.
She is the first foal for Listed placed winner Twilight Song (Fastnet Rock) who is a half-sister to G2 Caulfield Sprint winner First Command (Commands) who won twelve races with five of them at black type level, and was placed in the G1 Telegraph H. Twilight Song is also a half-sister to G2 HKJC Sprint winner One World (Danehill Dancer {}) and two other stakes placed winners. Her city winning half-sister Serenada (Encosta De Lago) is the dam of G3 Canonbury S. winner McLaren (Exceed And Excel).
First city winner for Keane
Jockey Dakotah Keane enjoyed her first city winner on Wednesday at Sandown on trainer Tony Noonan’s 3-year-old filly Herbert Park (Toronado {Ire}). “I'm overwhelmed,” Keane said post-race.
“It took me 100 rides nearly to get my first winner in the bush and I was hoping it wasn't going to be the same here. I'm stoked to get it for my boss Tony and on this horse. I've ridden her since day dot, she's tricky, so it means even more to get it done on her.”
Herbert Park has now won three of her five starts including her last two in succession with Keane aboard for both her recent wins. A homebred, Herbert Park is from the fifth Australian crop of proven Group 1 sire Toronado who has 64 stakes winners globally.
She is the fourth winner, from as many runners, for Listed Quezette S. winner Elite Elle (Shamardal {USA}) who won seven races and also placed at group level in Victoria on several occasions. Elite Elle is a half-sister to stakes placed winner Classic Elle (Reset), being out of five-race winner Mystic Elle (Encosta de Lago).
Godolphin ends the day with an impressive winner
Godolphin book-ended the card at Warwick Farm winning the last with 3-year-old gelding Kerguelen (Lonhro) who took his record to two wins from three starts. Ridden by Zac Lloyd, Kerguelen won by 1.7l from The Replicant (NZ) (Tivaci) and Flying Destiny (Flying Artie).
Lonhro, who died in April this year, retired from stud duties at the end of the 2022 season, and so his youngest crop are currently weanlings. Kerguelen is one of 1,055 winners for his sire, who currently sits on 97 stakes winners.
Kerguelen is the second winner for unplaced mare Zeehan (Helmet) who is a half-sister to three stakes winners being Group 2 winner Kuroshio (Exceed And Excel), Listed winner Agulhas (Exceed And Excel) and Group 3 winner Believe’n’Succeed (Exceed And Excel) who is the dam of G1 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo) and G1 NZ Railway S winner Bounding (Lonhro). Kerguelen’s third dam is dual Group 1 winner November Snow (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}).
