Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Expensive Wootton Bassett colt leads home Waller-trained first five
Of the nine runners in the second event at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, Chris Waller trained seven, so it’s perhaps not much of a surprise to see the first five to cross the line be from his stable. The pricey colt Botanist (Wootton Bassett {GB}), having his third start, had the honour of being first, but not that the race was handed to him.
Racing in the dark blue and black colours of Resolute Racing - who share ownership of the colt with Coolmore and Cobra - the colt was slingshotted straight to the front by Nash Rawiller before stablemate Pink Persuasion (Written Tycoon) joined him in the lead. Once into the home straight though, it was Botanist versus another stablemate in Miss Lola (Blue Point {Ire}) battling to the line, with the former ultimately prevailing by three quarters of a length.
“It’s always a good win when you’re given a high-priced horse, as there’s always that added pressure,” said Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth. “He’s gone and done the job now, which is obviously good to see. It was a beautiful ride from Nash, he could get away with everyone else worrying about their positions behind him and he just got on with the task at hand.”
Botanist winning at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“I was happy with his performance,” said Rawiller. “He’s still pretty raw. He’s been a bit slow learning, so I’ve just tried to keep him happy - he was a bit keen there early so I just let him roll forward for another 100 (metres) before he pricked his ears and came back to me.
“He (Botanist) was still pretty raw in the straight, but he’s got nice ability and that’s the main thing.” - Nash Rawiller
“He was still pretty raw in the straight, but he’s got nice ability and that’s the main thing.”
Resolute Racing signed the docket for Botanist to the tune of $900,000 at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Coolmore Stud. Resolute Racing’s John Stewart commented on X after the win that he thought “this horse could be special”.
The Waller-trained first five were interesting in that their finishing place almost directly correlated to how expensive they were; Miss Lola was a $480,000 Easter graduate, and Pink Persuasion was a $200,000 purchase from the same sale for Waltrin from Arrowfield Stud.
Connections of Botanist after winning at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Fourth-placed Man Of Worth (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), whom Duckworth asserted would improve as he got out in trip, was a 80,000 gns ($169,000) purchase at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, and in fifth spot was Menthon (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a $75,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale pick-up for Paul Willetts Bloodstock Consultancy.
Botanist is the first winner Tulip (Pierro), a dual Group 3-winning, G1 Golden Slipper Stakes-placed daughter of G3 Vanity Stakes winner Musidora (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). She is one of three stakes winners for Musidora, alongside G1 SAJC Oaks-placed Sacred Eye (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Tulip’s Home Affairs yearling was a $380,000 purchase at Easter this year for Lindsay Park Racing and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ). The same team may descend on the Gold Coast in January instead to buy Botanist’s Justify (USA) half-sister, who is catalogued as Lot 925 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. After missing this season, Tulip patronised new Coolmore resident Switzerland in September.
Botanist as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
‘Like a scalded cat’ Swordplay delivers slashing Warwick Farm win
Bjorn Baker-trained Swordplay (Shalaa {Ire}) set a new class record at Warwick Farm on Wednesday when sprinting home in the 1000-metre handicap that was third on the card in 56.45s. The 3-year-old filly “pinged the lids” in the words of Baker’s assistant trainer Luke Hilton and simply was too good to catch, with Rachel King steering her home for a three and a half-length victory over Indefensible (All Too Hard) - in such a blistering fashion that the call described her as 'like a scalded cat'.
It was the filly’s second win in her three starts as a 3-year-old, having put on a similarly dazzling performance at the beginning of November to break her maiden by four and three quarter lengths in a Newcastle Super Maiden, before running second to Crepe Myrtle (Exceed And Excel) two weeks ago.
“She just had to use a bit of extra petrol last start to get through her gears, and it told on her a little bit,” said Hilton. No such luck for Swordplay’s rivals on Wednesday, of course. “Today she was able to put them to bed pretty early and travel well once she got there.
“There’s a little bit on offer for her at the moment. We just want to get her through her grades, but she is a Magic Millions horse so we may have to look at a few options up there for her. She’s a lovely filly, and I think she’s still a preparation away from furnishing, but she’s an exciting filly who has blistering early speed and Rachel (King) has always said she’s never had a horse come out quicker.”
“She’s (Swordplay) an exciting filly who has blistering early speed and Rachel (King) has always said she’s never had a horse come out quicker.” - Luke Hilton
“She’s probably one of the fastest horses I’ve ever ridden out of the gates,” King confirmed. “She gets herself really low and for those first four or five strides, she’s just unbelievably quick
“Every time she’s stepped out, she just gets better and better.”
Swordplay winning at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA) and Omen Bloodstock secured the Arrowfield Stud-bred filly for $150,000 at the Gold Coast last year - the same venue that her full brother Recommendation was set to be offered, before he was withdrawn from the sale. The 6-year-old is now a nine-time winner of over $1 million, including four Group 3s on his record.
Swordplay’s half-brother King Adviso (Animal Kingdom {USA}) has been a talent as well, winning six races and almost $240,000 for connections, and half-sister Mon Amore (Sebring) was a five-time winner of over $215,000 on the track as well.
Swordplay as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
No doubt this can be tracked to dam Adviso’s (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) pedigree, as she is herself a half to dual Listed victor and 10-time winner Sailing Solo (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}), and is closely related to Woodside Park Stud resident Delaware (GB).
Adviso delivered a filly by Snitzel this spring before visiting Arrowfield’s new boy on the block, Vandeek (GB), in September.
Zoustar gelding keeps his Kool on debut
Zoustar gelding Ice Kool justified his ante-post favouritism and took all before him in the opening race on Wednesday’s Warwick Farm card. Sent out over 1000 metres by trainer David Pfieffer after a five and a half-length trial win in mid November, the 3-year-old had the services of Jason Collett to guide him to the front after a terrific jump from the gates.
He was too classy for the rest of the pack - who had a hard time gaining any ground on the gelding - and he managed to put a three and a half-length margin on runner-up Misty Veil (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at the line, with more in the tank. Century Song (Microphone) was third.
“He was up and going,” said Pfieffer immediately after the race. “He showed at the trials that he had the ability, but race day is what matters.”
After the potential chasers faded back as the pack turned for home, Pfieffer had his concerns about the “baby” being out on his own, but the gelding still travelled for home like the winner.
Ice Kool winning at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“When he turned for home, I thought, ‘oh jeez, he’s going to do it on his own here’, but he got a bit of a rile up from Jason, he did a great job. Every preparation I've had him, he's just given us something nice.”
"Every preparation I've had him, he's just given us something nice." - David Pfieffer
The allure of a trip north to the sunshine state is high in Pfieffer’s mind after the manner in which he put his rivals away.
“It’s been a while to get here, but we got here (now),” Pfieffer said. “He's shown us he's got the ability, he's going to go through his grades quickly, so there’s a 3-year-old race up on the Gold Coast that might catch our attention.”
“There’s a 3-year-old race up on the Gold Coast that might catch our attention.” - David Pfieffer
Ice Kool becomes the second winner from three to the races for his dam, Listed Bendigo Guineas winner So Far Sokool (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}), a daughter of G3 Gasmate Stakes victress and seven-time winner Sokool (NZ) (Bin Awjaad {Ire}).
Running in the colours of Blake Armstrong and John McPhillips’ Strong Bloodstock, Ice Kool initially passed in at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. His full brother also passed in this year when offered by Widden Stud and has yet to be named, and So Far Sokool produced a three-quarter-sister this spring by Zousain.
Ice Kool as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Zoustar is currently cleanly on top of the Australian general sires' list by winners, having gone into Wednesday's racing for 80 nationwide and over $7.95 million in prizemoney.
Job Done ticks the box for Snitzel again
Snitzel’s 20th juvenile winner last season was his son Job Done, who won on debut at Seymour on June 10, the day before his sire passed away. Fourth at his next race track venture behind G3 Vain Stakes winner Jimmy Recard (I Am Invincible) and Listed McKenzie Stakes-placed Bacash (Cosmic Force), Job Done was put away for the winter and has had two jump-outs ahead of his Wednesday return to the track.
Lining up at Caulfield Heath alongside last start Heath winner Espana (Capitalist) and Flemington winner Cavalry Girl (Bivouac), Job Done lived up to his name yet again with a smart one length victory for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in the 1000-metre event.
Passed in when offered by Longwood Thoroughbreds as a yearling at Inglis Easter, Job Done is a half-brother to G2 Eight Carat Vase winner Contessa Vanessa (NZ) (Bullbars) and Group 2-placed Pivot City (Not A Single Doubt). His immediate family includes G2 Danehill Stakes winner Mcgaw (I Am Immortal) and G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes winner Shuffle Dancer (I Am Invincible).
Snitzel currently sits second by winners in the 3-year-old sire rankings, with Job Done’s victory taking him to 25 for the season to date. To quote Arrowfield Stud’s press release at the time of their four-time Champion Sire’s passing: job done indeed!
