Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Race-Day Recap
The Thomas Carberry-trained Strictly Business (Grunt {NZ}) out-stayed her fellow 3-year-old fillies in the G1 Victorian Oaks in the hands of jockey John Allen.
Point Barrow (Blue Point {Ire}) claimed victory in the G3 Red Rose Stakes with a withering burst down the outside, in a stable quinella for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Apula (Fiorente {Ire}) was an impressive winner of the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes for the Ben, Will and JD Hayes training combination.
Stokke (Rich Enuff) claimed Listed success in the Century Stakes for trainer Patrick Ryan Jnr and jockey Damian Lane.
Strictly Business outstays her rivals in the Oaks
The Thomas Carberry-trained Strictly Business (Grunt {NZ}) put in a polished staying performance, proving too tough and classy for her opposition to win the G1 Victorian Oaks, running away by three and a half lengths in the hands of John Allen.
Incredibly Strictly Business was only first-up on October 24 when winning her maiden over 1400 metres at Ballarat, she then ran a fast finishing second in the G2 Wakeful Stakes behind Getta Good feeling (So You Think {NZ}) over 2000 metres only eight days later, and then won the G1 Victorian Oaks today over 2500 metres, five days later.
She has squeezed a lot into 13 days, has went from 1400 metres to 2500 metres, and from a maiden victory, to Group 1 glory in what has been an incredible training performance and effort by the filly.
The race was run at a strong pace up front, with John Allen settling Strictly Business near last. The second favourite, The Pearls (NZ) (Proisir), sat around third-last, while Getta Good Feeling tracked just worse than midfield.
At the 600 metres, the backmarkers, led by The Pearls, made it interesting. While Getta Good Feeling looked to be travelling, she soon came under pressure. Allen steered through the field on Strictly Business, and once clear, bounded away from The Pearls, with After Summer (The Autumn Sun) finishing third.
All honours went to the winner, giving a huge thrill to Ballarat-based Carberry, who runs a small stable.
On the result, Carberry said:
“Yeah, I saw it, so yeah. It’s an incredible journey, racing, and I think everybody’s proud of it. You meet people here today and they’re legends, and to think you can do it, it’s great.”
On her preparation, running first-up just 13 days ago:
“We just looked at her as a horse for the future. She did things that day that were not normal. It takes a really good horse to do what she did, even in her maiden. It just put the Wakeful on the radar. She needed a trip to show her best.
“She’s a filly on the up. We had this race in mind for a long time. She missed a run at Geelong, but found a race at Ballarat a couple of weeks ago. She came through that so well we decided to take our chance in the Wakeful. Today came on the radar because she ran so well there. She looked like she needed the 2,500-metre trip, and that was what happened.
“Ballarat is a happening place, winning the Melbourne Cup for the McEvoys, and we’re very happy with this result today.”
Thomas Carberry | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
John Allen was equally thrilled:
“What a filly to win her maiden only two weeks ago. What a great effort by Tommy. He rides his own work. Tommy is a neighbour of mine - he only lives two doors down.
“She’s got no early speed, so we went back to last, hugged the rails, and followed the right horses into the straight. At the 600 metres, I knew we were going to run the trip, and my confidence grew.
“She was as raw as you could possibly be. It was obviously a great win at Ballarat, but she was inexperienced. Tommy rang me and said there wasn’t much coming up, only the Wakeful, and I said, why not have a crack? She ran so well there, we had to come to the Oaks. She’s pulled up well and is something to be excited about.
“The plan was always to go back. She can over-race, so I was happy to take my medicine early. They went a good gallop, and once they steadied mid-race, she got on the bridle. I was following the right horses, and when they peeled off, I was able to come up underneath them. To be honest, I knew it was all over. The way she rounded off her race, it was nearly all over turning in.”
Sales info: Strictly Business was withdrawn from the 2023 Inglis Great Southern Sale.
Pedigree info: Strictly Business is the second foal out of Tivoli Lass (Uncle Mo {USA}), who was a winner at 1400 metres. Her first foal is the talented Kicking King (Highland Reel {Ire}) who is also trained by Thomas Carbery, he has been a winner at 1700 metres and placed in the Listed Tasmanian Derby, and the Listed St Leger Stakes.
Strictly Business becomes the second Group 1 winner for the Yulong sire Grunt (NZ), and further back in his family is the Group 1 winning Windsor Park Stud sire Shamexpress (NZ), who is best knwon as the sire of the Champion sprinter and G1 The Everest winner in Ka Ying Rising (NZ).
Point Barrow blooms best late in ‘The Red Roses’
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Point Barrow (Blue Point {Ire}) has been in fantastic form this spring, and that continued with an authoritative success in the $300,000 G3 Red Roses Stakes down the straight.
There was plenty of pace on early in the straight, but jockey Daniel Stackhouse was content to let it unfold in front of him. Taking full advantage of his extreme outside barrier, he stormed down the outside for an impressive win.
The quality filly Inkaruna (I Am Invincible) also drew wide, right alongside the winner and she finished strongly for second, giving the Freedmans a stable quinella, while the Peter Snowden-trained fillies Miss Freelove (Tassort) and Akaysha (Capitalist) fought bravely to finish third and fourth in a competitive fillies’ event.
Point Barrow deserved the Group 3 victory, having previously been Listed-placed as a 2-year-old and Group 3-placed this season as a 3-year-old. She is owned by Mr B McClure, Mr R McClure, Halo Racing and Ridgmont.
Co-trainer Sam Freedman explained that the talented filly is still developing and has room to progress.
“She’s shown herself to have a nice change-up speed anyway, but she’s still doing a bit wrong. She got a bit keen in the early stages, that’s part of the reason we came today rather than throwing her in the deep end in a race like the Coolmore, because she’s just doing a little bit wrong,” Freedman said.
“She was dominant in the end, and once she works out her craft, she’s going to be a pretty special filly hopefully. You know, for Janice McKenna, it’s really special she’s here today.
“She hasn’t been to the races so far this preparation. We had a chat this morning, and she was keen to come out here, and that’s quite emotional. I met Col through his time in racing, at Magic Millions when Andy Makiv introduced us, he took a leg in a third of this filly.
“And so, it’s nice to be here today, and I’m sure he was looking over really proud of what the filly’s done. It’s really nice to have Janice here today.”
Sam Freedman | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Jockey Daniel Stackhouse deflected much of the credit to the trainers.
“Sam and the team have done a fantastic job, and Janice, it’s an amazing feeling. They’ve been good to me just to maybe ride her the whole way through.
“Sam and I had a good talk. He said just trust her. She was a bit keen early, so I was a bit concerned, but once we got that cover she settled nicely. She’s just got such an electric turn of foot, and I just had to trust her.”
When asked what it was like to win a race in the colours of the late Colin McKenna during Cup week, Stackhouse explained:
“It means everything to me. This is what the week is all about, and for Janice and her family, it’s a big thrill. Got my mum and dad here as well, so it gives you goosebumps.”
Sales info: Point Barrow was purchased for $400,000 by Anthony Freedman Racing from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Pedigree info: Point Barrow is the second foal from Take Pride (Reward For Effort), she was a three-time winner, which included the G3 Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley. This is the extended family of the outstanding Mummify (Jeune {GB}), who was a five-time Group 1 winner, including in the G1 Caulfield Cup.
Take Pride in recent years has produced a Home Affairs yearling colt, and foaled a Hellbent colt last month.
Apulia powers home in the Chester Manifold Stakes
The at-times enigmatic Apulia (Fiorente {Ire}) has come back better than ever as a 5-year-old, with the good-looking entire charging home out wide from well back in the field to take out the $200,000 Listed Chester Manifold Stakes on Oaks Day in the hands of jockey Michael Dee.
His win in the VOBIS Gold at Moonee Valley late last month was his first since claiming the G2 Vase as a 3-year-old, before finishing runner-up in the G1 Victoria Derby two years ago, so he has clearly rediscovered his winning form.
There was plenty of pace on early as Oh Too Good (All Too Hard), Cartoon Graveyard (Turffontein), and El Rocko (Fastnet Rock) all pushed forward with urgency before El Rocko took over. In the meantime, the favourite Enxuto (Lean Mean Machine) was enjoying a good run in fourth just off the hot tempo.
The strong pace brought the backmarkers into play late, and just as Enxuto loomed, Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry {Ire}) was surging along the inside, while the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Apulia stormed down the outside and proved too strong for Detonator Jack running a good second, with Poison Chalice (NZ) (Savabeel) finishing off well to grab third ahead of the favourite Enxuto.
“He’s been a fantastic horse for our family and the Garretts. They’ve been great supporters and we train in partnership together, so it’s a great result for everyone,” Ben Hayes explained.
“I thought Michael did a great job. He’s a horse that does run his best races outside of horses, so from barrier one to get where he did and get his revs up was a great effort.
“So we’re thrilled, and it’s very hard to get a winner over this week, so we’re happy to get our first winner.”
Ben Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
When asked whether the race panned out as planned, winning jockey Michael Dee summarised:
“It planned out better than how I drew it out. We obviously had barrier one, and he’s a horse that definitely appreciates being outside and around horses, so we were lucky enough that at the top of the straight we could sort of edge out and he was strong late.
“He took a while to really get going and find his straps but late he was nice and strong.
“He’s come back in great order. He had quite a long time off - nearly 12 months - but he won well first-up at Moonee Valley last start and that was only ten days ago. He’s come back great.
“Probably pleasantly surprised (with how quickly he’s come to hand), but leading into his first run, he had done absolutely nothing wrong and had been trialling well.
“But it’s always a question mark when they have so long off, and to produce two like this within sort of ten days, it’s a super effort and a credit to Team Hayes and how they’ve been able to handle him. Good training effort by the boys.”
Pedigree info: Apulia was bred by Meadowvale Pastoral and Revelstone Stud, who have retained an ownership interest in the 5-year-old entire alongside Lindsay Park Bloodstock.
Apulia is the first foal out of the High Chaparral (Ire) mare Giannarelli, a $150,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Lindsay Park that placed as a 3-year-old.
She is a half sister to the dual winner and Group 2 placed gelding Spot The Rock (Fastnet Rock). In recent years Giannarelli has foaled a 2-year-old colt by Nicconi, a Lucky Vega (Ire) yearling filly, and missed to Shamus Award last spring.
Stokke flies down the straight to claim the Century Stakes
It was the Patrick Ryan Jnr-trained Stokke (Rich Enuff) who showed the sharpest turn of foot down the straight to take out the $200,000 Listed Century Stakes in the hands of Damian Lane.
The consistent 5-year-old mare always travelled well just off the pace, racing closer to the rail side down the straight. When she loomed at the 200-metre mark she looked the winner, but she had to be tenacious to fend off the efforts of Major Share (Overshare), who had been close throughout, and the fast-finishing Rey Magnerio (Magnus), who weaved through from near last to charge home - but too late.
Stokke held the advantage narrowly in the end in second over Major Share, with Rey Magnerio leaving his run too late under Jye McNeil.
Trainer Patrick Ryan Jnr watched from afar and explained why.
“When it gets close, I like to ride them home, so I didn't want anyone around me. So, yeah, I changed the whip a couple of times up there. Straightened her up, but no, sensational win. Great for the owner group, especially Rob Salter, who puts a lot of money and time into it. Just a sensational little mare, she's been a project.
"Daniel Small at Warrnambool, he sort of half broke her in early doors and got all the kinks out of her and now she's furnished with a racehorse and hopefully the ownership group, now she's got black type, anything's a bonus for them."
Winning jockey Damian Lane was equally impressed.
“She was brilliant. Obviously, probably a touch out of her class but Patrick Ryan, a very good trainer, and doesn't have a lot of horses in work, he knew what he was bringing to the races. She's got a good record and progressed through the grades really well. She's got nice wins still ahead of her. Patty's a good fella and a very good horseman, he's only got a small stable but they always punch above their weight so it's a good thrill.
Damian Lane | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Early I was a bit concerned as she had got the chewy and got her head up a little bit, but after the first third of the race, she really started to collect herself nicely and build into it well and from there, she was brilliant. I think with that experience under her belt, it (straight racing) is definitely something they can aim at in the future."
Sales info: Stokke was bred by Salter Pastoral Pty Ltd, Brad Bluett, Stefan Heinze, Steven Collette and is raced by those similar connections
Pedigree info: Stokke is the fourth foal out of Springalon (Lonhro), who was a winner at 1000 metres, she has done a good job at stud with all four of her foals to race being winners, with Stokke now successful at Listed level.
The family is a little quiet on blacktype but further down the tough and durable 20-time winner, invluding once at Listed level in Sir Swayze (Famous Star {GB}) and All Chant (NZ) (Ayrthorpe {Ire}), who was successful at stakes level in Sydney four times.
