Saturday summary: Reserve Bank erupts in Goodwood boilover

Cover image courtesy of Racing SA

Reserve Bank steps up to plate in the Goodwood

He may have been the baby of the field, but there is no doubting Reserve Bank’s (Capitalist) ability now as the 3-year-old colt made it three stakes wins in a row on Saturday when winning the G1 The Goodwood. Winning the Listed Redelva Stakes, followed by the G3 Tobin Stakes a fortnight ago, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt was only at start number nine when lining up at Morphettville.

He swiftly justified his place in an elite field when rocketing home under Jamie Melham from the back to score by one and a third lengths over local galloper Sir Sway (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), with ante-post favourite Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) a whisker away in third. Melham was claiming back-to-back Goodwoods, having guided Benedetta (Hellbent) to Group 1 glory in her home state last year.

“Nothing went to plan,” she said. “He reared out the gates, missed the start, but I just got a dream run. Giga Kick was on our outside, and I thought if I drag back now and get on his backside, he's going to be too sharp, so we just rode for luck.

“The gaps came and I was just a passenger. Mick's (Price) got this horse absolutely flying. That was a very impressive win.”

“I was a bit concerned in the run, where he was,” Price said. “I did say to her (Melham), ‘he's a nice flow-along sort of horse, he doesn't like the mixed messages and don't drag him back’. But thankfully they ran along and he was allowed to use his big stride late and he took off.

“He just needs a bit of room. He's a sizeable colt, and he's got a good long stride on him, and he was strong at the end of 1200 metres.

“As the race worked out, you know, it was probably a good spot for him to be. There was a bit of argy-bargy going on up in front, wasn't there? He's a lovely colt, and he's won a Group 1. Fantastic.”

Price also thanked the efforts of apprentice jockey Matthew Chadwick for strapping the colt; “He's (Reserve Bank) a typical colt. He's full of himself and he's a lad. You know, a big alpha male type colt, that's him.”

A $410,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale purchase for his trainers, Reserve Bank is the second Group 1 winner for his Newgate Farm-based sire Capitalist, who will stand for $44,000 inc GST) this season, and is also the first 3-year-old colt this season to capture a Group 1 in open company. He is the first stakeswinner from Our Songbird (Fastnet Rock) who visited Capitalist again in the spring. she is a half-sister to the Listed winners Corsaire (Anabaa {USA}) and Debonairly (Snitzel)

Yulong Investments share in the ownership of Reserve Bank, possibly in the future he could be one to carry on the sire line of Written Tycoon, being a grandson of Yulong Stud's outstanding sire.

Antino prevails against Sydney raiders in Hollindale

Queensland-trained Antino (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) held off a sea of raiders from down south to take out the G2 AD Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on Saturday, putting in a huge performance to score second up. Trained by Tony Gollan, the 6-year-old gelding relished the give in the track and took control of the race around the home turn, emerging victorious by three and a half lengths over Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}).

The run - which was only the miler's second shot at an 1800-metre event - sealed a stakes treble for Gollan, who also won the Listed Silk Stocking and the Listed Australian Turf Club Trophy on the same card.

“We’d only been to 1800 metres once before with this horse, but we knew what we had to do with him when we got back from Hong Kong,” Gollan said. “It was a bit more daring than we’d been previously. We decided to go to Sydney for the All-Aged Stakes, but nothing went right for him there.

“It was always the plan to come here after that, but, for the last three weeks, I was second guessing myself whether I’d done the right thing. Everything at home indicated that we were on track, but I was still nervous about bringing him to the Gold Coast for the first time.

“There have been issues with kick-back and when a horse breaks slowly like he does, there’s always the danger that things won’t go well. But I just told Blake (Shinn) to dare to be brave on him.”

Shinn’s bravery shined in the gelding’s daring plunge into the lead heading for home.

“I have never really trained him to get a trip until this prep,.” Gollan said. “I always had him pinned as a miler, but we’ve put in all the groundwork with him from the minute he got back from Hong Kong, and we might dare to go to the Q22 with him after the Doomben Cup.

“He’s a really funny horse, he’s got his quirks. But he means a lot to me. He’s the best horse I’ve ever trained, and when you trust him, he gives it back to you in spades. It was so good to see him deliver today.”

Triumphant in the G1 Toorak Handicap in the spring, Antino took his record to 12 wins and over $2.5 million in prizemoney with Saturday’s victory. His dam Mahamaya (NZ) (Bahhare {USA}), a full sister to G1 Captain Cook Stakes winner Hurrah (NZ), was served by Dundeel (NZ) in the spring.

Bosustow returns in style with Guineas win

Just two days after his half-sister Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) booked her ticket to the United States to visit Justify (USA) after being bought by Coolmore at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $3.8 million, 3-year-old colt Bosustow (Blue Point {Ire}) was making headlines for himself in the G3 Gold Coast Guineas on Saturday.

Winner of the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in January before running second in New Zealand to Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) in the G1 BCD Sprint at Te Rapa, Bosustow was first up in the Guineas and, once he found galloping room, sailed home to claim the Group 3 event by six lengths for Annabel and Rob Archibald.

It was an emotional victory for the ownership group, led by Rosemont Stud, as it comes a fortnight after the passing of his namesake West Australian Carlton forward Peter Bosustow.

“It was an amazing win,” Annabel Archibald said. “And I’m sure Peter Bosustow was carrying him the whole way there, because it was a dominant win.”

The big question mark over the colt pre-race had been the track.

“I messaged Mitho (Anthony Mithen) and Macca (Ryan McEvoy) at 6.30am this morning to say that I wasn’t sure about a Heavy 8 track," Archibald said. "He didn’t handle a Soft 7 track 12 months ago in the Champagne Stakes, so I was a little bit worried, but to the boys’ credit they said, ‘let’s have a crack’.”

The plan worked, so attention turns towards the G1 Stradbroke Handicap to complete the colt’s season.

“He’s twice Group 1-placed, so hopefully we can go one better,” Archibald said. "We’re here for a three pronged attack, it’s onto the Fred Best next and then the Stradbroke is his grand final.”

Bosustow was a $900,000 purchase for the Rosemont Alliance, Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), and Annabel Neasham Racing at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2023. At the Gold Coast this year, Luke Fernie paid $625,000 for his half-brother by Siyouni (Fr) from Segenhoe Stud’s draft, and Bumbasina (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) has a full sister to to that colt to follow. She was served by Zoustar in the spring.

Another stakeswinning Dundeel filly as Litzdeel claims Fillies Classic

The daughters of Dundeel (NZ) are catching up with his sons, and a week after his first filly Group 1 winner arrived in the G1 South Australian Derby, Litzdeel (Dundeel {NZ}) proudly flew her sire’s flag in the G3 SA Fillies Classic over the same distance.

Breaking her maiden in the spring over a mile at just her second start, Litzdeel has relished distances over 2000 metres, evidenced by her placings in her last two starts in the Listed Galileo Series Final and the Listed VRC St Leger, with the latter over 2800 metres. Dropping back 300 metres on Saturday gave the Danny O’Brien-trained filly no trouble, and she stalked the lead before snatching a comfortable win by three-quarters of a length over Chase Your Dreams (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}).

“It’s fantastic, there is a big team of owners here today,” O’Brien said. “She was impressive last start. She has been going really well this prep and we came here quietly confident that she would put in a good effort today.

“She made the trip across on Friday morning. It was a bit of a journey for her, but she settled in beautifully and was a pleasure to deal with today.”

Passed in as a yearling when offered by Widden Stud, Litzdeel is a half-sister to G1 Melbourne Cup hero Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}), as well as Listed Galileo Series Final winner Lycurgus (Star Witness) - a pedigree that marries perfectly with the staying blood of Dundeel. Chris Waller Racing will offer her half-sister Hatatsu (American Pharoah {USA}) at the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale as Lot 413.

Well-bred mare kickstarts Gollan’s stakes treble in Silk Stocking

It was a good day for the Gollan stable at the Gold Coast on Saturday with a stakes treble, which was started with 4-year-old mare Floozie (Zoustar) sweeping the Listed Silk Stocking. Floozie has flourished from her sea change to the Sunshine State; the winner of both of her previous starts since transferring to Gollan’s stable at the start of the autumn, the mare proved too good yet again in the 1400-metre contest, claiming the win over Scud (Smart Missile) by a head to clinch a valuable first black-type win.

“Ange Jones has got a great knack of getting her horses to begin well and move them into a great spot,” Gollan said post-race. “We saw it yesterday at Gatton, we've seen it here so far today, and we see it week in, week out.

“She's riding brilliantly, and the mare was rock hard fit on the seven-day back-up. It's great for James Mitchell and all the team to send us a mare like that, and I'd say she'll be very valuable now that she's got some black-type on her page.

“She gives me a Comrade Rosa feel. She's going through the grades very nicely, and I've been very confident that we could get her to stakes grade at some point. There's still improvement there with her, we hope to get her into the Tatts Tiara, but there's a bit of water to go under the bridge between now and then.”

Bred by Rob Crabtree out of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy (Fastnet Rock), Floozie was withdrawn from the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and was acquired late last year privately by James Mitchell and Yarraman Park Stud. She is the 66th individual stakeswinner for Zoustar, who is currently locked in competition with Pride Of Dubai for the Australian sires’ premiership.

Crabtree has retained her yearling half-sister Turbocat (Pinatubo {Ire}) to race and Catchy has a weanling filly by Blue Point (Ire) to follow. She was sold in foal to Capitalist to Ireland’s Glenvale Stud for $800,000 at this week’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, where she was offered by Noorilim Park.

Know Thyself swoops home to claim The Coast

The $1 million Country Championships hero Know Thyself (The Autumn Sun) continued his hot streak at Gosford on Saturday, justifying his favouritism with the punters by powering home to victory by just under a length in the The Coast.

Trained by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, the 4-year-old gelding emerged from the pack as they entered the straight and pulled away from his rivals, holding his own out front as he crossed the line to his fourth win in succession. Depth Of Character (Deep Field) had a harder battle to the front to make second, edging out Mare Of Mt Buller (Dundeel {NZ}) by a head.

“It was a tough win today,” Messara said. “I thought the leader really ran along at a good clip and we planned to sit where we did.

“We just got the blinkers on him and I just wonder if he waited for them to come up to him before he kicked on, but he certainly held them at bay, and it was a lovely ride by Ash (Morgan).

Although noted on the Racing Australia website as having Listed status, The Coast is one of the 17 NSW races proposed that were rejected by the Asian Racing Committee. It therefore has not gone through the required approvals process to be recognised as a black-type event, despite the Racing NSW and Racing Australia programs falsely claiming it as one.

The hope is to next head to the Listed Scone Cup at Messara and Gavranich’s home track during the Scone Cup Carnival, where a win would secure the first official black type victory for the son of The Autumn Sun.

Know Thyself is out of Mantra Of Life (USA) (Dubawi {Ire}), an unraced daughter of Group 3-winning mare Loving Kindness (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}), who is a half-sister to French Champion 2YO Filly Denebola (Fr) (Storm Cat {USA}). Mantra Of Life delivered a Maurice (Jpn) filly in the spring.

Know Thyself passed in when offered by breeders Arrowfield Stud as a yearling - but only because the Messaras were so keen to keep him, buying out his other shareholders for $300,000 post sale as disclosed to the media this week.