Juvenile summary: Rivellino remains unbeaten in Inglis Millennium, Field Of Play rockets to Blue Diamond favouritism

Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

Rivellino too classy in Inglis Millennium

Despite facing a difficult carpark draw, Kris Lees' Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}) showcased his superior class to triumph in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium at Randwick on Saturday.

Ridden by champion jockey James McDonald, Rivellino was allowed to find his feet early from barrier 13 before working into the three-wide line mid-race. The unbeaten colt then sustained a long sprint down the Randwick straight to over-power his rivals and claim the $1.188 million first prize, ending the winning streak of Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) by 0.44l.

It was a performance that has Lees optimistic of things to come.

“Rivellino is a smart 2-year-old and I’d say we’ll be pushing on to some degree,’’ Lees said.

“You could see him in the Golden Slipper, for sure.”

Raced in partnership with the Throsby family, the red and green colours carried hold special significance for him.

“Those colours have been worn by some very good horses and my first winner (Cherokee Lass) back in the nineties wore them in a maiden at Newcastle,” Lees said.

“Those colours go back a long way. He has got a lot of upside and it is a special feeling today.”

A $180,000 Inglis Classic Sale purchase by Lees and Bahen Bloodstock from the draft of Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Rivellino is the first foal to race out of the So You Think (NZ) mare Intrinsic.

Lees trained the dam to win three races and finish fourth in two Listed events, the Ramornie Handicap and Gai Waterhouse Classic and shared it was initial reason he was drawn to the horse.

“I trained the mother and that is often a bit of a start when you go to a sale,’’ Lees said.

“He is a horse that has continued to improve while we’ve had him in work and from each trial to the races he has continued to go the right way.

“He’s got a lot of upside.”

McDonald shared that Lees had called him, letting him know he had a good opinion of the son of boom stallion Too Darn Hot (GB).

“He’s a ripper and fair play to Kris, he has always liked him,’’ McDonald said.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Sportpix

“When he rang and said ‘you’ve got to ride this one, I reckon he’s pretty good’, it didn’t take much convincing.

“I rode the colt in a barrier trial and he gave me an excellent feel and that was just what we wanted to see today.

“I just needed a little bit of luck and I got that from the 800 metres.

“He’s a really improving type. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with through the carnival.”

Although Lees was unsure about Rivellino's next start, he suggested that it might be either the G2 Skyline Stakes on March 1 or the G2 Todman Stakes on March 8, en route to the Golden Slipper at Rosehill on March 22.

Field Of Play demands late entry into Blue Diamond

After decisively defeating the highly touted Aleppo Pine (Blue Point {Ire}) in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (colts & geldings) at Caulfield on Saturday, Field Of Play (Deep Field) has urged his owners to pay the $55,000 late entry fee for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

Following his pre-race plan, Shinn rode Field Of Play with confidence, pushing him forward to pressure race favourite Aleppo Pine. Inside the final furlong Aleppo Pine compounded badly, allowing Field Of Play to sweep to the lead, ultimately finishing with a 0.46l margin over long-shot Devil Night (Extreme Choice). The $81 outsider Katsumi Orochi (Maurice {JPN}) also surprised many by finishing a further 2l back in third place.

The unbeaten juvenile's strong showing has prompted bookmakers to mark him as favourite for the $2 million event on February 22. Immediately following the race, champion jockey Blake Shinn urged the connections to utilize the $210,000 prize money from their victory to cover the late entry fee, even offering to pitch in himself.

“He's taken a step from Moonee Valley and it's always a bit of an unknown coming here to the lead-up to the Blue Diamond, (knowing) where you're going to sit, but he really put his hand up today,” said Shinn.

“Congratulations to Trent and Nat and Mike Kneebone and the whole ownership group. He's a very exciting horse, he's got a wonderful constitution and great attitude and that's holding him in such great stead at this early stage of his career.”

“I'd be putting a bit of my percentage up to be paying the late entry fee, he's going to be one of the favourites, I'd imagine, off the back of that win.

“He's already won at 1200 metres.

“He's just a really beautiful horse to ride. I've ridden a lot of nice 2-year-olds over my time and he's got a little bit of a way to go to be like a Capitalist, but he's a very impressive horse.”

With earnings of $293,100 from his first two wins, Field Of Play is poised for bigger and better things according to co-trainer Natalie Young, who still thought there was improvement to come based on his parade.

“It's great to see, it's fantastic for Mr Cheng and Mike Kneebone, a big part of us getting this horse and having him, so it's fantastic to know that we're going to be back here in two weeks chasing a Blue Diamond,” said Young.

“Obviously, he's a gelding and he walked around the parade ring today and I thought, 'it's six weeks between runs, he still looks like he's a little bit pretty', but that's just the way he is.

“It's a good effort to be six weeks (between runs) and deliver that sort of time and still win like that.

“He'll be better as a 3-year-old obviously, but he's winning and it's (Blue Diamond) only two weeks away, so if he pulls up great through the week that's where we'll be going.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The stable has until February 19 to determine if Field Of Play will have the opportunity to secure a second Blue Diamond Stakes victory for Busuttin and Young, following Tagaloa's win in 2020.

Field of Play is a NZ$500,000 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale purchase by Jamie Richards and Andrew Williams Bloodstock, after initially being sold by Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the 2023 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale to Kaha Nui Farm for $255,000.

Bred by Verna Metcalfe and Ted and Sandra Beirs, Field Of Play is the third winner from three foals to race from Californiasurprise (I Am Invincible), a daughter of Group 3 winner Camporella (Exceed and Excel).

Alma Vale Thoroughbreds sold the current yearling from Californiasurprise, a filly by Stay Inside, at Magic Millions for $300,000 to Grahame Begg Racing and Rohan Hughes. She currently has a colt on the ground by Artorius and re-visited him again last Spring.

Palm Angel turns the tables to win G2 Blue Diamond Prelude

After starting as favourite and subsequently finishing behind My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) in the Blue Diamond Preview, Palm Angel (Starspangledbanner) reversed the result with a dazzling turn of foot, securing victory over that horse in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The Jason Warren-trained Palm Angel made an impressive debut at Caulfield in the spring, but a wide gate limited her opportunities in last month's G3 Blue Diamond Preview at Sandown. In a change of fortune from their previous meeting, Palm Angel had a smooth journey, while Preview winner My Gladiola had to contend with a wide draw to work across and take the lead.

Jockey Ethan Brown stalked My Gladiola throughout the race, finding a split late before exploding clear inside the final 50 metres to finish 1l ahead of the race favourite.

"We went into her first-up run in the Preview a little bit soft, we'd gone there with one jump-out under our belt with a view that our Grand Final was still six weeks away,” Jason Warren said.

"So, we used the run to bring her on. The barrier draw last start forced the issue, so we didn't knock her around and felt that we came here much improved and I think we can tighten up a little bit further into the grand final in two weeks.”

Having ridden Palm Angel in all her three outings, Ethan Brown has nothing but admiration for the exciting filly.

"She's got a great constitution, she's a little racehorse,” he said.

"She did have a soft run from the gate, she dropped the bit nicely, but once she got off My Gladiola's back she really sprinted down well.

"I only hit her once or twice, she did the rest herself, and it was quite a soft win."

"The ability to deal with pressure and she does that just fine.

"She put the writing on the wall her first start and she ran well the other day but I said to Jase, 'you've got to just trust she's going to improve out of this run', and she certainly did.

"She was prepared in terrific order by Jase and the team and I'm just rapt to be on her."

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Bred by Rosemont Stud, Palm Angel is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Narbold (Churchill {Ire}) and is the second winner from three foals to race from Noblest (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Noblest is a winning sister to the dual Group 1 winner Peeress (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the grandam of Group 1 Newbury Lockinge Stakes winner Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), as well as Group 3 winners Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

Noblest (GB) produced another filly by Starspangledbanner last season and is currently in foal to Churchill (Ire).

Zousain filly takes Listed Lonhro Plate

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Bellazaine (Zousain) failed to gain a start as an emergency for the Inglis Millennium, however, her connections were rewarded with a gratifying consolation when she triumphed in the Listed Lonhro Plate at Randwick on Saturday.

Bellazaine had no luck, posted wide without cover, on debut when finishing seventh in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes behind Bel Merci (Extreme Choice), but bounced back to put her hand up as a Slipper contender with a tough on-pace performance.

Hitting the front early in the straight under Regan Bayliss, Bellazaine found another gear to hold off race-fit colt Beiwacht (Bivouac) inside the final furlong to win by 0.55l, with race favourite Extractor (Spirit of Boom) battling away to finish a further 1.35l back in third.

“That’s just consolation for the owners, and she’s gotten some important blacktype and residual value and importantly some prizemoney to count towards going to the Golden Slipper,” said Adrian Bott.

“She’s a lovely big strong filly and certainly up to a Golden Slipper. She’s had the advantage of having had a previous prep although things didn’t necessarily go to plan for her in the Gimcrack. We always thought of her as one of our leading fillies going into that race, but the wide draw affected her on the day.

“No excuses today, she’s come back a stronger and more seasoned filly and she can put her hand up to go to one of the fillies lead-up races, potentially the Sweet Embrace, and we can get her fully qualified for the Slipper.”

Regan Bayliss was impressed with the grit and determination of the filly first-up.

“She’s a filly through that strong form line of the Gimcrack that has really stood up,” Bayliss said.

“She’s a big, long, rangy, scopey filly that’s only going to get better once she gets over a little bit further. The Godolphin colt that has a run under his belt challenged her and she tough right through the line.”

A $160,000 Inglis Classic purchase from Widden Stud, Bellazaine is the fourth winner from four foals to race from Benella (Not A Single Doubt) and the first stakeswinner for the mare. Benella is a three-quarter-sister in blood to Group 2 winners Doubtland (Not A Single Doubt) and Villa Verde (Not a Single Doubt), who is also the dam of Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview winner My Gladiola (I Am Invincible). Last spring, Benella produced a filly by Supido and has since returned to Zousain. Her yearling filly by Supido will be presented at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Widden Stud as Lot 63.