The final day of the 2023/24 racing season was a good one for Deep Field who had winners with Winchester and Battlefield. Promising 3-year-old filly Waimarie (Snitzel) has found form at the right time, while Written Tycoon has another exciting colt with juvenile winner Iron Hawk who surprised everyone bar his trainer in Sydney.
Raceday Recap
Trilogy’s 2-year-old colt Iron Hawk (Written Tycoon) should improve after his debut win at Warwick Farm.
Deep Field looks to have another promising horse with rising 3-year-old Winchester winning at Sandown at his second start after debuting in Listed company.
Defiant Boom, bred by Black Soil Bloodstock, wins at Doomben.
Battlefield makes it three in a row at Doomben for his new trainer.
Waimarie looks well placed for a big spring after a recent return to form.
Iron Hawk gets a valuable juvenile win just in time
Gary Portelli trained 2-year-old colt Iron Hawk (Written Tycoon) has a juvenile win on his record thanks to a brilliant win on debut at Warwick Farm. Sent out at $41, Iron Hawk was several lengths off the leading group heading down the straight and he swooped past them with a clever rails ride by Reece Jones to win by 0.71l from the favourite Silmarillion (Too Darn Hot {GB}) who is trained by James Cummings, with Ciaron Maher trained 2-year-old filly Qatar’s Choice (I Am Invincible) in third.
“This horse has been pretty difficult to get to the track,” Portelli said. “He's shown us a lot of ability but has gone shin sore a couple of times, even out at the tie-ups today I had all sorts of trouble getting the saddle on him then when he got into the birdcage he was quite colty. I was concerned he wasn't going to put it together again and he was on the list for the vets.
“The way he won today, there might be a nice race in him. There is plenty of upside to this horse because he doesn't know what he's there for just yet. What we've been seeing at home and what he's been showing in the trials are two different things. He runs anything at trackwork and it was good to see trackwork turn up today. It's good to get a number one up for the Trilogy team who have entrusted us with some really nice horses this season.”
Purchased by Trilogy Racing from Sledmere Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $220,000, Iron Hawk has been seen at the trials several times this season. His sire Written Tycoon has had a fantastic season and will be crowned Champion 2YO Sire for 2023/24 in both Australia and New Zealand! In Australia, Iron Hawk became his 18th individual winner, and he has two stakes winners being G1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot and G3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic winner Althoff, while in New Zealand he had G1 Sistema S. winner Velocious and G2 Matamata Breeders S winner Captured By Love.
“The way he (Iron Hawk) won today, there might be a nice race in him. There is plenty of upside to this horse because he doesn't know what he's there for just yet.” - Gary Portelli
Iron Hawk is the second winner for Lady Dynamo (Catbird) who won five races up to 1450 metres and was second in the Listed Murray Bridge Gold Cup, which lends one to think that Iron Hawk will improve with age. Lady Dynamo is out of a winning half-sister to G3 Illawarra 2YO Classic winner Splendid Horse (Geiger Counter {USA}) and Listed winner of ten races Del Toro (NZ) (Deputy Governor {USA}).
Winchester wins at Sandown
On the final day of the season, the opening race at Sandown was a tense finish with Team Hawkes’ 2-year-old gelding Winchester (Deep Field) holding on by 0.35l in a nicely timed ride from Patrick Moloney with the fast finishing pair of 2-year-old filly Blackberry Bomb (Brazen Beau) and 2-year-old colt Nostringsattached (Extreme Choice) almost getting there. The line came up slightly too quick for them and they finished in second and third.
Winchester was the $3.70 favourite, and was resuming after a spell, having debuted in February in the Listed Talindert S. where he ran mid-field in a race won by Aardvark (Capitalist). Sold by Newgate Farm at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Winchester was purchased by Hawkes Racing for $250,000. With a win from two starts at two, his future looks bright as he heads into his Classic season.
"He gave me the feel like there was plenty of improvement in him," Moloney said. "He's still the raw product and I think he had a few gears up his sleeve as he did it with his ears pricked in the last 100 or 200m. The Hawkes team are master trainers, master conditioners of horses, and they will get the best out of him."
The now-retired Deep Field is a big loss to the breeding industry, having only served for eight seasons, and his final season in 2022 (2023 foals) barely counts with just nine live foals. Deep Field has 33 stakes winners led by four Group 1 winners.
Winchester becomes the fourth winner for G3 Sweet Embrace S. winner Shared Reflections (Umatilla) who won twice at two. Her other winners are Lucky Hero (Northern Meteor) who won twice in Hong Kong and once in Sydney, Infinite Advantage (More Than Ready {USA}), and the astoundingly tough 6-year-old gelding Smart Image (Smart Missile) who has won 13 of his 40 starts including five in the city with earnings over $410,000. His latest win was in June two starts ago in Townsville. Shared Reflections has a 2023 colt by Stay Inside.
“He (Winchester) gave me the feel like there was plenty of improvement in him... He's still the raw product and I think he had a few gears up his sleeve as he did it with his ears pricked in the last 100 or 200m.” - Patrick Moloney
One for the linebreeding fans, Shared Reflections is by Umatilla out of juvenile winner Ulap (Hurricane Sky), therefore her sire and damsire are half-brothers, making Shared Reflections 2mx3m to Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}).
Second placed Blackberry Bomb will head to a Group 3 race at Caulfield for her next start. “It's good to see her do it on debut, we paid a bit of money for her, obviously a half to Shesallshenanigans,” trainer Simon Zahra said about the filly who cost $300,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from Segenhoe Stud. “Maybe go to Caulfield in three weeks, there's a nice Group 3 (race) for fillies there.”
Defiant Boom ends consistent season with a win
2-year-old gelding Defiant Boom (Spirit Of Boom) debuted for trainer Stuart Kendrick in December running second, putting together three placings in her first three starts. Given a short break, Defiant Boom headed to Doomben on Wednesday for his fifth career start and won by a length for apprentice jockey Bailey Wheeler from Autumngirl (The Autumn Sun) and Wynette (Lonhro). Both second and third placed horses were on debut.
Blacksoil Bloodstock sold Defiant Boom through Eureka Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $160,000, purchased by Archer Racing who have put together a big syndicate to race him.
Spirit Of Boom has had an excellent season in 2023/24 with seven stakes winners, led by G2 Angus Armanasco S. winner Sassy Boom, G3 WA Champion Fillies S. winner Keshi Boom, All That Pizzazz won two Listed races, while Chinny Boom, Golden Boom and Chatty Lady all won Listed races. Defiant Boom was his ninth juvenile winner from his current crop.
Defiant Boom is the sixth named foal for Listed Gimcrack S. winner Defiant Dame (More Than Ready {USA}) who has produced four winners including the 3-year-old full brother Defiant Spirit who won twice at two and has won twice this season at three with earnings over $370,000. Defiant Dame’s first foal is the very tough galloper Grand Cross (Fastnet Rock) who won 21 of his 63 starts in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Her other winner, My Girl Rocks, is a full sister to Grand Cross and her first foal is a 2023 filly by Spirit Of Boom.
Defiant Dame is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Hidden Warrior (Hidden Dragon) and this is the family of Group 1 winners Red Tracer (Dane Shadow) and Shellscrape (Dane Shadow).
Three in succession for Battlefield
This time last year, 3-year-old gelding Battlefield (Deep Field) had had two starts as a July 2-year-old for two fifth placings, both in Sydney for trainer Chris Waller. At the start of his 3-year-old season, he moved to trainer Matthew Vella who won with him at Kembla Grange, and then he was sold for $42,500 at an online auction.
His new owners sent him north to Queensland trainer Barry Lockwood. Lockwood has put together a grand record with Battlefield over this winter. He ran second first up for him, and now has three wins in succession with the latest coming on Wednesday at Doomben for jockey Angela Jones with an impressive 2.89l winning margin over Jack Bruce trained pair of Miss Miriam (Divine Prophet) and Reign Of Power (Power {GB}).
Battlefield as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We bought him online after he pulled up with heart arrhythmia following his last run in Sydney for Matthew Vella,” Lockwood told racingqueensland.com.au on Monday before Wednesday’s run. “I have a minor share in him with Mike Buys who has raced horses with me for a number of years going back to when I was in Sydney. Mike has a lot of horses with Tony Gollan and another of the owners, Longneck Thoroughbreds, has a few cousins of mine from Tamworth involved.”
After his second win for Lockwood, the new owners received an offer from Hong Kong, but it fell through when his veterinary issues were revealed. Wednesday’s win will go some way to easing any remnant annoyance around the lost sale.
Originally sold by Gilgai Farm at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $520,000 to China Horse Club, Newgate Farm, and Trilogy Racing, Battlefield is by Newgate Farm’s Deep Field, who also sired 2-year-old winner Winchester at Sandown earlier in the day.
“Battlefield had had two starts as a July 2-year-old for two fifth placings, both in Sydney for trainer Chris Waller.”
Battlefield is the third foal and second winner for G2 Angus Armanasco S. placed Mossin’ Around (Mossman) who was a winner in Sydney. Her other winner is 4-year-old gelding Cuban Affair (Rubick).
Mossin’ Around is out of a placed daughter of G1 Sires’ Produce S. winner Rhythmic Charm (Sackford {USA}) who is the granddam of Group 3 winner and sire Universal Ruler and Listed winner Newton Prince (Universal Prince). Mossin’ Around has been unlucky at stud, missing in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Waimarie looks ready for a big spring
Stakes placed 3-year-old filly Waimarie (Snitzel) ended her season on a high note with a win at Sandown for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. Ridden by Mark Zahra, who was enjoying his first day back at the races after a break, and she won by 2.5l from Nodachi (No Nay Never {USA}) and Eye Of Epaulette (Epaulette).
“She’s a nice ride, blinkers helped. Trent said she didn’t like being in among horses and he seems to know what he’s talking about,” Zahra said. “She jumped quick and was happy to be in front, and was really relaxed in front with the blinkers on, a bit too relaxed at some points. I had to give her a click up, but she quickened good off the bend and then again at the 300 and won easy.”
“If she was mine, I’d stick to a mile at this stage.”
Waimarie won on debut as a March 2-year-old, then ran third in the Listed Redoute’s Choice S. Back at three, she had two ordinary starts in the spring, but this winter has blossomed with two wins and a second from three starts this time in.
A $300,000 purchase by Andrew Williams Bloodstock and Busuttin Racing from Arrowfield Stud’s 2022 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft, Waimarie is by Snitzel who will finish fifth on this year’s General Sires Table.
Snitzel has had another strong season with 12 individual stakes winners during the season, led by Group 2 winning 2-year-olds Bittercreek and Switzerland, as well as Group 2 winners Wee Nessy, Doull, and Serasana. Prost won the G3 Canonbury S. while Highness and Lazzura were both juvenile stakes winners for him.
“She (Waimarie) jumped quick and was happy to be in front, and was really relaxed in front with the blinkers on, a bit too relaxed at some points.” - Mark Zahra
Waimarie is a half-sister to Champion NZ 2YO and G1 JJ Atkins S. winner Sacred Elixir (Pour Moi), and both are out of winning mare Baltika (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) who is out of an unraced daughter of Horlicks (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}).
Horlicks won five Group 1 races and broke the race record for the Japan Cup in 1989, which she held until 2005. She was a fantastic broodmare producing G1 Melbourne Cup winner Brew (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and his full sister Group 2 winner Bubble who sadly died before going to stud. Horlicks is the ancestress of Group 1 winners Fiumicino (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Mr Quickie (Shamus Award) and at least eight other stakes winners.
