Two & 3-Year-Old Summary: Extreme Warrior strikes in Merson Cooper

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Extreme Warrior’s excellent beginning

First season sire Extreme Warrior celebrated his first stakes winner on Saturday in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Caulfield. With trainer Lloyd Kennewell in Japan, and his father Gary looking after the stable, debutant 2-year-old colt Eternal Warrior began in the fashion of a horse paying $41, missing the kick but defied his odds to storm home to win by a head. The front running Phillip Stokes-trained colt Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) was just pipped on the line to give the quinella to first season sires.

Ken and Kasey Keys-trained colt Alibaba (Alabama Express) was third on debut. Extreme Warrior has two winners from four runners, with his other winner being Blandford Baron.

“He's probably doing some shopping and watching the race, it's fantastic,” Kennewell's father Gary said. “(Eternal Warrior) gave a good kick and Zac (Spain) just rode him a treat. He put him into the race and he finished off."

He will likely head to the R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic. “I liked his turn of foot today, I thought he trialled up really well, but you have to show that race day under race day pressure,” Spain said.

“I didn't think I was going to get past Lachie (Neindorf, on Stretan Ruler), his horse was very brave, but the more I got stuck into my bloke, the more he picked up.” The runner up is the first stakes horse for his first season sire.

Sale info: Sold by The Chase at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale for $80,000, Eternal Warrior was bought by Blueblood Thoroughbreds and Kennewell Racing.

Pedigree notes: Eternal Warrior is the first foal of winning mare Devout Hero (No Nay Never {USA}) who has a Russian Revolution yearling filly. This is the family of Champion 3YO Filly and triple Group 1 winner Alinghi (Encosta De Lago).

Devout Hero’s dam is stakes placed Perfect Persuasion, a full sister to Alinghi and to stakes placed Slice Of Paradise, who is the dam of good stallion Beneteau. As well as Devout Hero, Perfect Persuasion is the dam of three stakes placed winners being G3 Gimcrack Stakes-placed Perfect Proposal (Russian Revolution), G3 Ming Dynasty-placed Lady Sharapova (Fastnet Rock, and Listed Stutt Stakes-placed Papillon (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).

Godolphin’s Street Boss continues to thrive this spring

Co-trainer Calvin McEvoy received an early wedding present when 3-year-old filly Motorsports flew home to score in the G3 Blue Sapphire Stakes at Caulfield. “We've got a big day tomorrow with the McEvoy clan and I'm happy to be still invited to the wedding after that,” jockey Harry Coffey laughed after the victory.

“I'd be saying there'd be a pretty rowdy pub in Adelaide somewhere right now.”

The Godolphin filly is yet another stakes winner this spring for Street Boss (USA). The 22-year-old stallion is enjoying a resurgence this spring with the likes of G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Tentyris, G2 Run To The Roses winner Tempted who placed in the G1 Everest, G3 Spring Stakes winner Green Spaces, Listed Inglis Banner Stakes winner Calamari Ring, and G2 Tramway Stakes winner Pericles who was also twice Group 1 placed this spring.

The filly has already provided Coffey with plenty of emotional moments. “I was lucky enough and fortunate enough to find her when she swapped from James Cummings to the McEvoy team, but unfortunately I couldn't ride her at her first start (because) my baby was due the day she ran at Ballarat,” Coffey said.

“I put that aside and, luckily enough for me, Luke was suspended and I was able to rejoin and get back on her back. It's good of Godolphin and the McEvoys to allow me to do that as she's a ripping filly. She's a pleasure to ride, she does things right and she has a turn of foot. That's everything you want from a horse.”

Placed on debut, Motorsports has now won two in succession to take her earnings over $187,000.

Sales info: A homebred for Godolphin.

Pedigree notes: Motorsports is the second foal of Jorda (Exceed And Excel) whose first foal is the winner Buades (Lonhro). Her 2-year-old filly Tatiana, a full sister to Motorsports, has already trialled, and Jorda has an Anamoe yearling filly.

Jorda won the Listed Gimcrack Stakes at two, and went on to add the G3 Kennedy Plate. She’s a half-sister to Group 3-placed Pursuits (Lonhro) who is the dam of stakes placed Sicilian (I Am Invincible). Another half-sister is stakes placed Catalonia (Flying Spur), the dam of R.Listed Inglis Banner 2YO Stakes winner Espaaniyah (I Am Invincible). This is the family of dual Group 1 winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice).

Fireball on fire in impressive debut

The juvenile race at Rosehill was a wide open affair with most of the field inexperienced, as is typical for this part of the year. John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained filly Tigroni (Tiger Of Malay) had a torrid run, then led down the straight, fighting hard, with Chris Waller-trained colt Fireball (Snitzel) coming up his inside. The pair showed plenty of gumption, and it was Fireball who was best in the finish, to win by a length.

Godolphin’s Street Boss (USA) colt Euripedes, trained by Bjorn Baker, was third. All three in the trifecta were on debut.

“He's a lovely colt. James Harron buys some very nice horses, so that’s the first box ticked and it makes my job easier,” Waller said.

“All of my staff have said he’s a very professional horse and we haven’t really asked him for anything at home. They keep saying, 'Yeah... you can go the next step, you can go the next step.' So it's always a good sign when they come out and do it pretty raw and un-pushed. He's had two soft trials and he's done a great job today.”

Bred by Michael O’Keeffe, and raised at Yarraman Park Stud, Fireball’s half-sister by Dundeel (NZ) will be offered by Yarraman Park Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in 2026 as Lot 614.

“Very quiet, very easy to do anything with, and he's here to please you, so I was a bit worried when I saw him up on his toe in the mounting yard, and even going to the gates, he was calling out a little bit, which is unlike him, but as soon as we got behind the gates and in the barriers, he switched onto his normal self,” jockey Tommy Berry said.

“I said to James (Harron) and Chris (Waller) that the only thing I'll be getting beaten by is the 1100. He hits a little bit of that flat spot when he first comes off the bridle, hence why I made the decision before the corner to pop him out and not be the one looking for a run at some point.

“He was strong late and he's going to be lovely when he gets to 1400 metres and maybe even a mile, so they will have plenty of options.”

Sale info: Fireball was purchased by James Harron Colt Partnership and Tony Fung Colts for $460,000 from Yarraman Park Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Pedigree notes: Fireball is the second foal of winning mare Advance Party (Charge Forward) who won her maiden as a July juvenile, adding another win as a late 3-year-old.

Advance Party had a Maurice (Jpn) filly this spring. She is out of unraced Redoute’s Choice mare Luana, who is a half-sister to Listed Ken Russell Memorial Classic winner I Have No Fear (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). The pair are out of G2 Magic Night Stakes winner Countess Christie (Marscay) whose four wins at two included three stakes wins.

All the threes for Hot And High

Trainer Dion Luciani’s 3-year-old filly Hot And High (Too Darn Hot {GB}) won Saturday’s Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic over 1400 metres by three lengths. It was her third start and she remains unbeaten. She rounded the turn beside Trevor Andrews-trained 3-year-old filly Ninetymilestraight (Flying Artie) but sprinted away from her in the straight to make it look easy. Daniel & Ben Pearce-trained 3-year-old gelding Sherpa Express (Blue Point {Ire}) ran third.

“She’s very exciting this filly,” Luciani said.

“She’s hard to watch in running. She never really looks like she’ll accelerate like she did, but then she finds another gear under pressure. She looks like she’ll give half a length and she gives three.

“I still genuinely believe she’s a miler and even further. Her heart rate and her lung capacity, even in track work, show she’s not a short sharp point to point speed horse. She builds and really finds on overdrive. She’s an exciting filly and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t go all the way.” She will spell now, and be set for the autumn and the WA Oaks.

Sale info: Raced by Cape Falls Thoroughbreds, she was not offered at auction.

Pedigree notes: Hot And High brings up stakes winner number 30 for Too Darn Hot (GB). She is the first winner, from three to race, for dual juvenile winner High Conviction (Snitzel) who has a yearling filly by Zousain.

High Conviction is a daughter of G3 WATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Paris Petard (Mujahid {USA}) who also the second dam of Listed winner Saloon Bar (Sessions). This is the family of Group 1 winner Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}).

Ruska Roma gives Begg a second Twilight Glow

Trainer Grahame Begg enjoyed his second victory in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes with Ruska Roma (Super Seth) joining his 2023 winner Miraval Rose (Grunt {NZ}). Ruska Roma headed the front runner, Mark Walker-trained Lyrics ‘N’ Song (Written Tycoon) with 100 metres to go. The favourite, Ciaron Maher-trained Jenni Gone Bonkers (Maurice {Jpn}), was chasing hard but had to settle for second with the winner claiming the victory by 1.25 lengths. Well-bred Lyrics ‘N’ Song held on well for third.

“She's always shown us ability. Her first start in a race she ran third behind Planet Red, who ran second in the Guineas, Observer, ran second and who won the Derby and she ran third. She deserved that Listed win. She's been running well right throughout the spring, but hasn't had a lot of luck in her races,” Begg said.

“The other day, it was a tragedy that she didn't finish closer to Sheza Alibi as she got held up to the 100 metres and we all saw what Sheza Alibi did in the Sandown Guineas.

“It's great for Jonathan Munz and Pinecliff Racing. He bred her. She's a homebred and it's very important to get a Listed win on the board. I'm sure there's plenty more.”

Ruska Roma has had seven starts for two wins, and now has earnings over $160,000. She was fourth last start in the G3 Vanity Stakes, nearly a month ago. “I sent her down to the water treadmill at Somers. She had a week down there, was out in paddock during the day, and just freshened up. She prepped up really well for the race and we were really confident that she would run well.”

Sale info: A homebred for Pinecliff Racing.

Pedigree notes: Ruska Roma becomes stakes winner number eight for Super Seth. Her dam, Sansa (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) was a winner over a mile and her first foal, Smile And Wave (I Am Invincible) has won twice, while Ruska Roma is her second foal. She has a Dundeel (NZ) 2-year-old filly named Gallonetto.

Sansa is a half-sister to Listed winner Members Joy (Hussonet {USA}) who is the dam of G2 Percy Sykes Stakes and G2 Furious Stakes winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible), who in turn is the dam of Listed winner Hip Hip Hooray (Snitzel). Another half-sister to Sansa, Rosarian (Manhattan Rain), is the dam of dual Group 3 winner and G1 Australasian Oaks-placed Jennilala (Shalaa {Ire}).