Cover photo courtesy of Racing Photos
Racing at this time of year can often unearth a horse with nice spring potential, and that looks to have been the case today with Samudra (Snitzel) impressive at her Sandown debut.
A regally bred $775,000 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate purchased by David Ellis, the Mark Walker-trained 2-year-old raced by TFI and Kia Ora Stud railed nicely to take the lead but with 100 metres to go she looked to be in danger with her rivals challenging.
Showing good heart, the chestnut kept digging to defeat fellow debutant I'mateez (Capitalist) with the more experienced Latin Boss (Street Boss {USA}) third.
“She was under a lot of pressure over that last 100 metres but she dug deep and found,” said a delighted Mark Walker who is confident that Samudra has plenty of upside.
“I think she is going to be a better chaser than leader and she is going to be much nicer at three.”
“I think she (Samudra) is going to be a better chaser than leader and she is going to be much nicer at three.” - Mark Walker
“I thought she was all done at the 100 metres but mum's ability kicked in. We might put her away now, cuddle her a bit and hopefully she can earn black-type as a 3-year-old.”
Sent out an odds-on favourite on the back of outstanding jump-out form, Samudra made the same start to her career as did her dam; Pippie (Written Tycoon) also saluting at debut.
Mark Walker | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
And that flashy chestnut went on to bigger and better things, winning another five races from her next 14 starts including the G1 Oakleigh Plate and the G1 Moir Stakes.
Describing Samudra as “a lovely big girl who we have handled with kid gloves,” Walker said that the 1000 metres to 1200 metres is likely to be the best distance range for the promising filly.
Jockey Ben Melham was taken by the style of the win.
“She is a lovely filly and I think that was a 2-year-old race with a bit of depth in it.”
“She is a lovely filly and I think that was a 2-year-old race with a bit of depth in it.” - Ben Melham
“She began well but did get a bit lost in front. She still has plenty of growing up and maturing to do, she is still a big baby but she dug dep when it mattered; it was a very tenacious win.”
“She has a big stride, not dissimilar to her dam,” he said, and he is in a good position to make comparison having won two races including the G3 Cockram Stakes on Pippie.
Samudra winning the Australia Handicap | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Bred by Cressfield Stud, Samudra is the first of only three foals produced by Pippie who sadly died young last spring. Her second foal, a daughter of I Am Invincible, was purchased by Champions Farm/Satomi Oka Bloodstock FBAA for $1.4 million at this year's Easter Sale and her weanling colt is by that same stallion.
The fourth Snitzel winner from five runners out of mares by Written Tycoon, Samudra boasts an interesting pedigree with crosses of the terrific mares Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) via Redoute's Choice and Try My Best (USA) and South Ocean (Can) via Storm Bird (Can) and Ne Coupez Pas (Can).
Doubles for Cressfield & Exceedance
It was a good day for Cressfield who also had a home-bred winner at Warwick Farm where First Person (All Too Hard) relished the heavy conditions, recording a second win in a row and her fourth from 16 starts.
She is a valuable broodmare prospect for Cressfield being the last foal produced by the Listed winner Personify (Galileo {Ire}) whose daughter Personal (Fastnet Rock) won the G1 VRC Oaks.
Video: Watch race replay of First Person, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Jockey Tommy Berry was impressed by the job Kris Lees has done with First Person, noting that she had been a very tricky mare to deal with in the past.
“She is relaxing much better this preparation, she is going from strength to strength,” he said.
Vinery Stud's G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Exceedance enjoyed a good day with both of his runners in winning form at Warwick Farm, kicking off in the second race with Change My Address an impressive debutant for the John Sargent stable.
Showing good pace to stalk the leader, the well related filly travelled nicely and took over with 200 metres to go, getting clear to win by one and one fourth lengths with a big in hand.
“I saw this filly parading a month before the sales and I thought she stood out,” Sargent said. “She was passed in and placed online so I bought her.”
Bred by Rifa Mustang, Change My Address may have another run or two before a break with Sargent hoping to have her ready for the spring.
The stable apprentice Molly Bourke was all smiles after the win, telling the media that “we have always had a bit of an opinion of her at home and we have just taken time with her.”
“At the turn I felt like she was being run off her feet a bit but the longer she went the better she felt.”
Change My Address | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Change My Address is the first foal for the winner Liberata (Sebring), a half-sister to the G2 Matriarch Stakes winner Jessy Belle (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) out of a daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Flitter (NZ) (Bluebird {USA}).
Served last year by King's Gambit, Liberata foaled a Farnan filly last spring.
Also in smart winning form for Exceedance was his son Apex, a Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes trained home-bred for Vinery Stud.
Sent out favourite having run so well when resuming, Apex had one and one fourth lengths on his rivals in the fifth race which was aptly sponsored by Vinery, naming it for their young stallion Hawaii Five Oh.
It was a second win from just seven starts for Apex who at debut last year ran third to Private Life in a super maiden at Warwick Farm.
“His first up run was very good, he hit the line well that day,” Michael Hawkes said.
“He is by a fabulous stallion who I just love and I think he can go through the grades.”
“He (Apex) is by a fabulous stallion who I just love and I think he can go through the grades.” - Michael Hawkes
“He gained confidence as the race went on,” jockey Nash Rawiller reported, adding that “I am sure he can get to Saturday grade.”
Apex is one of the two winners from just three runs for the somewhat unlucky broodmare You Da One (Fastnet Rock) who died a few months ago having also produced the Hong Kong winner Lucky More (More Than Ready {USA}).
Yo Da One is a half-sister to the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Always Allison (More Than Ready) from the prolific Bint Marscay (Marscay) family.
Promising juveniles, including son of Brutal
A nice win recorded by a 2-year-old today was that by Brutal Glory (Brutal {NZ}) who lunged late to get up right on the line in a 1200 metres contest at Ipswich. A $135,000 Magic Millions graduate bred by the Nolan family, he is trained by Kelly Schweida who was happy to see improvement from debut to second start.
“He had to do a lot of work the other day but he got away with it today and I did think that being out of a Sebring mare that he would handle the wet track.”
“He is an honest horse,” added jockey Michael Rodd, “and he has a good turn of foot. I thought the other horse had us but he just kept fighting on.”
“He (Brutal Glory) is an honest horse, and he has a good turn of foot. I thought the other horse had us but he just kept fighting on.” - Michael Rodd
Brutal Glory is the second foal and second winner for the lightly raced placegetter Spring Glory (Sebring) whose first foal My Haruconi (Nicconi) is a three time winner. Sadly she died young with her last foal by Pierro fetching $125,000 at this year's Magic Millions.
Meanwhile the 2-year-old race at Balaklava was won the Richard & Chantelle Jolly trained first starter Si Senora (Yes Yes Yes), a $30,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase bred by Daleigh Park Livestock out of a half-sister to the stakes winners Arinosa (Dash For Cash) and Sweet Sherry (Bel Esprit).
“He was very green, still so raw but it was good to see him attack the line, he has good potential,” jockey Jake Toeroek reported whilst Richard Jolly said “he did a good job chasing those horses home, he looks a pretty good buy now.”
The win was part of a running double for the stable and jockey who teamed to win with the $200,000 Magic Millions graduate Heaven Rocks (Fastnet Rock), a 3-year-old having just his second start.
“He (Si Senora) was very green, still so raw but it was good to see him attack the line, he has good potential,” - Jake Toeroek
“He has got good ability but is doing a few things wrong still,” Jolly said, happy to now “progress to a Saturday race in town.”
“I trained his dam and had a good association with her,” he said of the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes winner Heaven's Deal (Spirit Of Boom), who Fernrigg Farm sent to Anamoe last spring. Closely related to Incentivise (Shamus Award), she has as her latest foal a colt by Exceed And Excel.
Fear No Evil presents in fantastic order
Three-year-old Fear No Evil (NZ) (Russian Revolution) didn't have many rivals in the opening event at Warwick Farm but it was a gutsy performance as he fought back after being headed close to home.
A three time winner and twice placed from his first five starts, the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott trained gelding pleased with the stable not only with his win but by the condition he is holding.
“He presented in such fantastic order that he may still have a run or two left in him,” Bott said of the gelding who is enjoying such a terrific debut campaign.
“He has had a fair bit of racing and a bit of travel as well,” he said whilst jockey Anna Roper described him as “a really honest horse who gave me everything he had.”
“He was in a really nice rhythm. I was happy to let him roll from the 600 metres and he worked into it nicely.”
“He (Fear No Evil) was in a really nice rhythm. I was happy to let him roll from the 600 metres and he worked into it nicely.” - Anna Roper
A $200,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale graduate purchased by First Light Racing/Adrian Bott/Gai Waterhouse/ Chris Rutten Bloodstock from Windsor Park Stud, Fear No Evil is the second foal for the placed (five times from eight starts) mare Arboreal (Lonrho) whose first foal is the G2 Eclipse Stakes winner Trobriand (Kermadec {NZ}).
Fear No Evil (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Served last year by Paddington (GB) after foaling a filly by Profondo, Arboreal is a daughter of the Listed winner Koala Bear (Exceed And Excel) from the family of Newhaven Park's Xtravagant.
