Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Race-day Recap
Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) makes it five in a row with strong G1 JJ Atkins victory for trainers Chris and Corey Munce, giving Corey his first Group 1 as a trainer.
Sticking to a sprinting trip worked a treat for Danny O’Brien-trained Brave Design (Brave Smash {Jpn}) who won the Listed Oxlade Stakes to break his maiden.
Sale-topping filly Signature Scent (Written Tycoon) showed why she was worth the money at Bendigo with an impressive debut for trainer Ciaron Maher.
Gary Portelli’s Maurice (Jpn) filly Queen Of Clubs wins at Rosehill with sights set on the big spring 3-year-old fillies races.
Lindsay Park added juvenile win number 25 for the season with newly gelded Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}).
Cool Archie puts his hand up for Champion 2-Year-Old
The G1 JJ Atkins Plate proved to be a collection point for firsts. The first Group 1 win for co-trainer Corey Munce, the first Group 1 win for the winner Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}), and the first Group 1 for first season sire Cool Aza Beel (NZ). It was also the first Group 1 in Australia for jockey Martin Harley, who has five back in Europe.
“It's been almost 10 years to the day that I had my last Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot so I'll take the anniversary over here. I'm on a plane tonight going back for Royal Ascot. And I might fly that plane myself tonight after that,” Harley said.
“You can't do it without the horse, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Team Munce have been massive supporters of mine and we came across a good 2-year-old this year. I think the horse has done most of the talking. He's taken a big step forward each run and that's what the good ones do. But to transform from a Heavy 10 to a Good 4 there today, which I knew he would handle, I never had any doubt in that. But what a superstar he is.”
“You can't do it without the horse, he (Cool Archie) wears his heart on his sleeve...He's taken a big step forward each run and that's what the good ones do.” - Martin Harley
Cool Archie won by 1.25l from the favourite Chris Waller-trainer colt Hidden Achievement (I Am Invincible) with Bevan Laming-trained gelding Call Da Vinci (Under The Louvre) in third.
Cool Archie winning the G1 JJ Atkins Plate | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Cool Archie has now won five in a row, three on Heavy ground and two on a Good surface, from nine starts with earnings over $1.6 million. First seen at the September 2-year-old trials, he was precocious enough to have three starts before Christmas, including third in the G3 BJ MacLachlan Stakes, but it is in the autumn and winter that he’s thrived with five wins in a row. With a Group 1, two Group 2 wins, and a Listed win, he’s surely a strong contender for Champion 2-Year-Old in a year that’s seen all five Group 1 races won by different horses.
“I'm a little speechless, as you'd probably expect, but I'll try and keep it together,” said Corey Munce on his first Group 1 winner.
Purchased by Mick Malone Bloodstock for $100,000 on behalf of owner Whitby Bloodstock, Cool Archie was sold by Newhaven Park Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and Newhaven Park also stand his sire.
Cool Archie as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
One of six winners for Aware (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), who won three times and was fourth in the Listed Oakbank Stakes. She is a daughter of G2 Magic Night Stakes winner Media (Gilded Time {USA}) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Timbourina (Timber Country {USA}) and Listed winner Cardinal Virtue (Elusive Quality {USA}). Cool Archie’s 3-year-old half-sister Mercurial Lady (So You Think {NZ}) won on Friday.
Decision to stick to shorter trip pays off
Trainer Danny O’Brien elected to run maiden 2-year-old colt Brave Design (Brave Smash {Jpn}) in the Listed Oxlade Stakes over 1200 metre, rather than the G1 JJ Atkins Plate over a mile, and the decision paid off when he won by 1.59l over Paul Shailer-trainer filly Isti Star (Better Than Ready) with Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained filly Royal Chic (Graff) in third.
Brave Design was having his fifth career start, having only run in stakes company, with three placings and a last start fourth to Cool Archie in the G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes. “He's been a colt that has been super every time he has gone to the races. We were very keen to get a win on the board with him,” said O’Brien.
“We had the option to go to the Atkins but we thought two things - the 1200 today and a weaker grade was an opportunity for him to get on the board and win one. The Sires' was run in testing conditions that day and he came through it very, very well. He's loved it up here in Queensland as a lot of our Victorian horses do.
“We may run him again. There is a 1400 metre race here on Tiara Day. Then a little freshen up before he goes to Melbourne.” He took his earnings over $230,000 and was seen twice in the sales ring. First at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale where Milburn Creek sold him to Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) for $120,000, then at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where Yarraman Park Stud sold him to his trainer for $150,000.
Brave Design winning the Listed Oxlade Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
He becomes the fourth stakes winner for Brave Smash (Jpn) from only 93 runners and whose other three stakes winners came from his first crop including Group 1 winner Kimochi who was officially retired on Saturday after sustaining a career ending injury in trackwork on Friday. Brave Design is the sixth foal and second winner for three-race winner Our Design (Stratum) who is a half-sister to Listed winner Tales Of Fashion (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).
Signature Scent goes from sale topper to winner
She made history as the first seven figure sale at the Inglis Ready-To-Race Sale, purchased by Yulong from Baystone Farm’s draft for $1 million, and now named Signature Scent (Written Tycoon) the 2-year-old filly made it look easy when winning by 4.25l on debut at Bendigo for trainer Ciaron Maher and jockey Linda Meech.
A daughter of dual Group 1 winner Soriano (NZ) (Savabeel), Champion Middle Distance Horse in NZ in 2014-15, Signature Scent was bred by Yulong, and sold by them for $200,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Baystone Farm. Soriano has produced four other winners including stakes placed Alsonso (Zoustar). Soriano is out of Group 3 winner Call Me Lily (NZ) (Just A Dancer {NZ}) who also produced Group 3 winner Kaizer Franz (NZ) (Savabeel) and stakes placed Affairoftheheart (NZ) (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}).
Rosehill victory makes up for loss from Portelli stable
At Rosehill, 2-year-old filly Queen Of Clubs (Maurice {Jpn}) won by 1.16l over Chris Waller-trained colt Regulated Affair (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who opted for this option over the G1 JJ Atkins Plate, with Mark Minervini-trained gelding Gemologist (Graff) in third. The win came only a day after Gary Portelli retired his star mare Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) due to a tendon injury.
“It has been a pretty hard twenty-four hours after finding out Kimochi had bowed her tendon yesterday. She will be retired. It's a pretty decent tear and she is a more valuable broodmare now,” Portelli said.
“We will probably stop and work out a program that will see (Queen Of Clubs) in all the big fillies' races. One door closes and another one opens, and I've been saying all along this is my next big thing. Today showed we are heading in the right direction.”
“One door closes and another one opens, and I've been saying all along this is my next big thing. Today showed we are heading in the right direction.” - Gary Portelli
Maurice (Jpn) missed coming to Australia in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so he has no 3-year-olds racing for him this season. Queen Of Clubs is the sixth juvenile winner for his current crop of 2-year-olds. Purchased by her trainer from Blue Gum Farm’s 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $300,000, Queen Of Clubs debuted in the G3 Gimcrack Stakes and has had four starts. This was her maiden victory.
Queen Of Clubs winning the Chandon Handicap | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Out of unraced Libre A Vous (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice), whose first foal is a juvenile winner in Europe, Libre A Vous is a half-sister to Champion 3YO Miler in France in 2012 and Group 1 winner French Fifteen (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}) and Listed winner Night Run (Fr) (Martaline {GB}). Another half-brother is stakes placed Supermensch (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) who raced in Hong Kong as Sixty Sixty.
Hello Romeo continues Lindsay Park season
Lindsay Park have clocked up 25 2-year-old wins this season as 2-year-old gelding Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) returned to form with a 0.35l win at Sandown on Saturday. “It is always a good sign, the youth coming through with good strength. It gives us a lot to look forward to in coming seasons,” co-trainer Will Hayes said.
The first Southern Hemisphere winner for his shuttle sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) when he won at his second start back in November, Hello Romeo went to New Zealand for the R.Listed Karaka Million running a disappointing mid-field. Since then he’s been gelded and this was his first start for this campaign. He has two wins from five starts and earnings over $127,000.
“He's an absolute professional mentally. The international trip to New Zealand, he coped with it really well as a colt, but between that prep and this prep he's had the ultimate gear change. He's up, he's sound and he's firing, and I said while the sun's shining, make hay.
“He's (Hello Romeo) up, he's sound and he's firing, and I said while the sun's shining, make hay.” - Will Hayes
“He's come back in good order as a gelding, so hopefully he's got a long, successful prep ahead. He's got a nice balance of professionalism and talent, it's going to take him a long way. He's gelding now, so we'll place him in every race where we think he can win and make as much money for the owners, so benchmark rating points and prize money is our goal.”
Hello Romeo (NZ) winning the Sporstbet Jockey Watch Handicap | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Purchased by Lindsay Park Racing for NZ$150,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from Hallmark Stud, he is one of seven Southern Hemisphere winners from Hello Youmzain’s first crop, and is the first foal of Julieta (NZ) (Shooting To Win).
Julieta is an unraced half-sister to triple Group 1 winner Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) and General Nediym juvenile winner Marechal (NZ), the dam of Listed winner Cyber Attack (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}).
