Saturday Summary: War Machine captures sentimental first Stradbroke for Lindsay Park

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

War Machine smashes Lindsay Park’s Stradbroke curse

Saturday not only delivered a new Group 1 winner for Darley shuttler Harry Angel (Ire), but also a whole new Group 1 victory for the Hayes brothers, who cheered War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel {Ire}) home to claim Lindsay Park’s historic first G1 Stradbroke Handicap.

The 4-year-old gelding was sent out the favourite in a capacity 18-horse field, and made his attack from out wide within the final two furlongs, slowly moving ahead of the pack. Yellow Brick (The Mission) made a valiant challenge, but could not get closer than three quarters of a length to Lindsay Park’s galloper, who crossed the line triumphantly under Tim Clark, who rode a Group double when claiming the G2 Brisbane Cup earlier in the card.

“We're very proud, it was an amazing result today,” Ben Hayes said. “The Wallace family bred this horse and is in the ownership group. They've had a really tough time lately and hopefully his win today will make them feel better.”

The late Michael Wallace was instrumental in War Machine’s birth, sourcing his dam Caserta (Hussonet {USA}), a half-sister to G3 Coongy Handicap winner Fire In The Night (Dansili {GB}), for his brother David Wallace and his late wife Maddy.

After the gelding passed in at both the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and the NZB Ready To Run Sale, he was retained to race by the Wallaces and trialled by Jim Wallace, before catching the eye of bloodstock agent Steven Pinfold, who purchased the horse privately for the late Mike Moroney.

“Also (to) Mike Moroney, we're fortunate to be able to be entrusted with this horse,” Hayes said. “He's an amazing, exciting horse, and to be able to have a horse like this to train is just amazing. To be able to get a result like this for Will, JD, the whole team, Mike Moroney, his family, the Wallace family, it's really, really exciting.”

“Obviously I was thrilled to get on him today,” said Clark. “He put the writing on the wall a few weeks ago and it was a pleasant surprise on Sunday morning when I got the news.

“He travelled so well, I probably let him loose a bit early. But this was the grand final, there's no tomorrow, so I wasn't going to die wondering. He let rip, really let rip, maybe just wandered a little bit late. He could feel Yellow Brick coming late and surged again. I can't take too much credit for it. What a great job by Ben and his brothers to just have him spot on for today. I was just the lucky one to get the call-up.”

War Machine is the third Group 1 winner for Harry Angel, and the second from his first Southern Hemisphere crop. Clients of the Hayes team have also purchased War Machine’s juvenile half-brother Vanvitelli (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who recently won a trial at Waipukurau.

Four straight for Floozie in Dane Ripper thriller

The last start winner of the Listed Silk Stocking Stakes, Floozie (Zoustar) stepped up to the plate in the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes and justifiably blew her competition away in the traditional G1 Tattersall’s Tiara lead-up.

The 4-year-old mare, trained by Tony Gollan, stretched out down the home straight with only the fast finishing Tashi (Sebring) able to dash up late to challenge her - but it was Floozie who prevailed by half a length, with second favourite Firestorm (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) in third.

“That was super,” Gollan gushed post-race. “We made a decision last week to scratch her from the wide draw to wait for this race, and we were a little bit long between runs but we got rewarded with a good barrier today, which was all the difference.

“She stepped well and Angela (Jones) had her in a good spot, she was able to get off heels. She’s a really good mare, this one. Going through her grades so well. I can’t thank James and all of the Mitchell team enough for sending her up here. We’re just thrilled to have a horse like this in our care.”

Gollan predicted Floozie’s winter carnival participation four starts ago, when the mare claimed a BM70 race at the same track.

“And that’s what she’s doing,” he said. “Onwards to the Tiara now in a fortnight. She's going to give it one hell of a shake, and once these mares are in form, they can do anything.”

Bred by Rob Crabtree and raced by Yarraman Park Stud, Floozie is the second foal and second winner from G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy (Fastnet Rock), daughter of multiple Group winner Cat’s Whisker (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}). Catchy’s yearling Turbocat (Pinatubo {Ire}) and weanling Blue Point (Ire) filly have been retained to race by Crabtree, whereas Catchy sold in foal to Capitalist for $800,000 at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale to Ireland’s Glenvale Stud.

Just Feelin’ Lucky lands stakes leap in Gunsynd Classic

Emerging talent Just Feelin’ Lucky (Justify {USA}) more than justified her leap into stakes company in the opener at Eagle Farm on Saturday, flying home for a length and a quarter win in the G3 Gunsynd Classic. The 3-year-old filly has blossomed in her autumnal preparation, scoring wins at Newcastle and Canterbury, sandwiched around a strong second at Warwick Farm, before her trip north.

The Good 4 track played in the frontrunning filly’s favour, allowing her to extend her lead in the home straight, with Godolphin’s Pisces (Frosted {USA}) in second.

“It (leading) might be the place to be today, I suppose we'll wait and see, but she's that style of horse, you know, those Justifys, I think they love just sort of free-rolling up in front,” trainer Michael Freedman said.

“I had a good chat to Tommy (Berry) before the race, and that was sort of the idea, if we could dictate the race from the front, and it panned out perfectly. Obviously, she's come through the lower-grade races, so to get Group 3 on the record today is just fabulous.

“They're a good bunch of owners, and after she won at Canterbury the other day, I said, ‘well, we might as well go and have a shot at the stumps’. It's getting to the back end of the season and she'll turn four pretty soon. I thought, ‘well, let's go and have a crack at some black type’, so she's quite a valuable filly now.”

Bred by Catherine Remond, Just Feelin’ Lucky was an $80,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for James Bester Bloodstock from the Ashleigh Thoroughbreds draft.

She is one of two winners from two runners for Pierro mare Phylicia, a half-sister to dual Group 1-winning Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor) out of three-time Listed winner Crevette (Danehill {USA}). Phylicia delivered a full brother to Just Feelin’ Lucky last spring, and is in foal to Capitalist.

Just Feelin’ Lucky becomes the 48th stakeswinner for Justify (USA), whose champion son City of Troy (USA) will shuttle to Jerry Plains this spring for a fee of $49,500 (inc GST).

Campaldino dreams of Melbourne after Brisbane Cup victory

Campaldino (NZ) (Ghibellines) snagged entry to the $3 million Big Dance with his Orange Cup win in April, but the 4-year-old may have his eyes on a much bigger target in early November instead after victory in the 3200-metre G2 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the gelding has put together four wins in a row - with a total of six - with Saturday’s victory, relishing the step up in distance from the 2400-metre G3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup last start.

Leading into the home straight, Campaldino took a leisurely stroll towards home, putting one and a quarter lengths on runner-up Etna Rosso (Ire) (Decorated Knight {GB}) to secure his victory.

“I think he’ll have to go to the Melbourne Cup,” affirmed co-trainer Adrian Bott post-race. “He’s been an amazing, progressive horse, he’s come a long way, and that tops the campaign off nicely. He won’t be able to have too long off, but he’s had some nice conditioning this preparation, so we’ll try to work backwards from the Melbourne Cup.

“He’s still learning what it’s all about. Even when he hit the front, we worried about him getting there too early and he had a bit of a wander around. When he was challenged, I thought he responded nicely.”

Bred by Ricky and Anna Rhodes, Campaldino is raced by Darby Racing, who purchased the gelding privately after his first four starts. He is the first stakeswinner from Shocking mare Zuzana (NZ), who is out of a full sister to Listed Matriarch Stakes winner Laebeel (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who ran second by a head in the 1999 G1 Caulfield Cup to champion Sky Heights (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

Laebeel’s offspring include the dual Group 3 winner Larry’s Never Late (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and the dam of Te Akau Racing’s multiple stakes-placed Sense Of Timing (NZ) (Time Test {GB}). Zuzana is currently empty and has been booked to Pinatubo (Ire) for the spring.

Kovalica prevails in tight Q22 finish

The winner of the G1 Queensland Derby and G2 Queensland Guineas in Queensland’s winter carnival two years ago, it was a welcome return to the Sunshine State for Chris Waller’s Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}). Third in the G1 Doomben Cup at his last start, the 5-year-old gelding patiently lurked at the rear of the pack for much of the run, before creeping round the outside when coming into the home straight.

It looked like eventual placegetters New Endeavour (Ire) (New Bay {Ire}) and Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) would be fighting out the finish, but the gelding snuck up on them to claim the win by a short half-head.

“It took the length of the Eagle Farm straight to get there,” Waller said post-race. “(His) first win for a couple of years, but we haven’t lost faith in him and he’s been a good horse without winning. He’s been working to something good.

“He might win his next race again this time next year, if not in two years. He’ll be back to Queensland.”

“It was a long ride back to scale, making sure that I’d got there,” winning jockey Nash Rawiller said. “What a horse he’s been. We made a call during the week, as late as Tuesday morning, to put the blinkers on today. You could tell in the run that he was going to do something. He’s so strong.”

The winner of over $4.1 million in prize money, Kovalica is closely related to triple Group 1 winner The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), dual NZ Horse Of The Year Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), and current Group 3-winning Kiwi Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}). Anthony Freedman Racing and Julian Blaxland Bloodstock (FBAA) secured his half-sister by Home Affairs for $300,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this year.

Compelling victory for Truth in Hinkler Handicap

Compelling by name, compelling by nature - they just couldn’t catch Mack Griffith’s Compelling Truth (I Am Invincible) in the Listed Hinkler Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday, where the 5-year-old dashed away with the event to win by half a length from Need Some Luck (Rubick).

The gelding captured his first stakes win after decimating many of New South Wales’ premier country sprints, posting wins in the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate and the $110,000 Bathurst Panorama.

“The gate was a bit of a concern, but when the track started playing a bit on-pace, that was a bit of a plus,” Griffith said. “You’ve just got to ride him half a second faster than normal - half a second back and he just switches off, he’s such a relaxed customer. You’ve just got to put him in the zone and Bailey (Wheeler) just knows how to do it.

“You’ve got to ride him a bit ugly sometimes. You put the bigger name jockeys on and they want to ride him too pretty, but Bailey understands him, they have a great combination together.”

Jockey Bailey Wheeler solidified his relationship with Compelling Truth in the race, bringing up the fourth win from four rides together.

“It's only a Listed race, but it's just good to be on the board riding with these great riders,” he said.

A homebred for Gooree Park Stud, Compelling Truth becomes the 118th stakeswinner for I Am Invincible and extends his record to 12 career wins. He is the best offspring of G1 Flight Stakes and multiple Group 2 winner Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor), from the close family of Spill The Beans and dual Group 1 winner Kenedna (Not A Single Doubt).

Newgate Farm sold Speakly Fondly’s Extreme Choice filly for $800,000 to Michael Freedman Racing, Michael Wallace, and Emirates Park on the Gold Coast in January, and she has another filly by the super sire to follow.