Two-Year-Old Summary: Where’s The Circus surprises in Inglis Nursery

Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

Surprise victory in R.Listed Inglis Nursery

Every dreamer and optimist in racing couldn’t have been blamed if they gazed out at their paddocks after the R.Listed Inglis Nursery and thought about that bargain priced horse they bought on a whim. If $1250 purchase Where’s The Circus (Trapeze Artist) can do it, maybe their horse can too.

Kembla Grange trainer Paul Murray’s 2-year-old filly Where’s The Circus was scorned by punters being sent out at $51 for her debut run in the R.Listed Inglis Nursery. She proved everyone wrong with a mature effort for jockey Jean Van Overmeire. She jumped, led, and scooted clear to win by 1.16 lengths from equal favourite Brad Widdup-trained colt Internal Affairs (Home Affairs). Matthew Smith-trained filly Regal Hustle (Dirty Work) was third, close behind Internal Affairs. Where's The Circus took her earnings over $230,000.

“It is getting very hard. I only had a handful of horses. I had to get rid of the older horses and just have one crack at having a go at getting a few nice 2-year-olds and it looks like it's going to pay off,” Murray said. He is the son of late legendary trainer Bede Murray.

Van Overmeire was equally as frank about coming to the city. “It's always a bit tricky to do that, give up my provincial rides to come here, especially when I've only got one (ride),” Van Overmeire said.

“But my thinking was, each year this race is not always that strong and the way she trialled the other day, purely on how she felt, I thought it would be worthwhile giving her a test anyway.”

Van Overmeire might not think the quality of the race is strong, but the history of winners is. Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) won last year and went on to add the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes and place in the G1 Champagne Stakes, and G1 Flight Stakes. Other previous winners include the first season sires Acrobat and Wild Ruler, as well as super sire Extreme Choice, and G1 Golden Slipper winners She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) and Mossfun (Mossman).

Let's hope Where's The Circus brings hope and joy to Murray and all the other dreamers across racing.

Sales: Offered on the Inglis Digital platform in September 2024 by Widden Stud, Where’s The Circus was purchased by Michelle Ritchie for $1250.

Pedigree notes: Where’s The Circus becomes stakes winner number eight for Trapeze Artist, whose best to date is G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Griff. A half-sister to R.Listed Inglis 2YO Classic-placed Can’t Find Snippy (Snippetson), Where’s The Circus is the seventh winner for Misplaced (Fastnet Rock). Her full brother is being offered by Widden Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale as Lot 190.

This is a strong juvenile family which includes G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) winner General Beau (Brazen Beau). Other stakes winners featured include G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes winner Nediym’s Glow (General Nediym), and G2 Danehill Stakes winner Kinglike (Exceed And Excel).

Blue Point colt Milsons Point opens his account impressively

Godolphin’s experiment in sending their horses out to a wide selection of trainers has certainly been a success, and this season's juveniles will be the first group who have been with their trainers from the initial education phase.

Ciaron Maher-trained 2-year-old colt Milsons Point (Blue Point {Ire}) sat behind the leaders and jockey Ben Allen had to shift to the middle of the track to get a clear run, but once he did, the colt flew home to win by 1.25 lengths. In second was John Sadler-trained filly Tag The Bride (Tagaloa) with Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained filly Fine Sierra (Pinatubo {Ire}) in third.

“He’s been at Ballarat the majority of his preparation. He was very difficult when we first got him, a hard going, free flowing galloper who took a lot of work. Credit to the team there, and obviously down south we’ve kept that going and he’s developing into a nice galloper,” said assistant trainer Jack Turnbull.

“We got a fair further back than we saw on paper, he did react a little bit and when he had to shoulder out, he was a little bit timid. To the horse’s credit, once he balanced up, he really lengthened. He’s got an exciting future for Godolphin.

“He’s up for a little while. I was having a chat to Ciaron in Hong Kong just before, and I’d say off that, you’d be open to backing off him and getting him through to late Jan or February.”

Sale: A homebred for Godolphin. Godophin sold his dam Ventura (Lonhro) for $7000 at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in foal to Paulele. The resulting filly is being offered by Armidale Stud as Lot 62 at the Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale. https://catalogue.magicmillions.com.au/lot/26TSY/62

Pedigree notes: Placed on track, Ventura has now produced four winners from five runners. She is a full sister to Group 1 winner and sire Denman, a half-sister to Group 1 winner Preserve (Canny Lad), the dam of Group 3 winners Safeguard and Archives (Helmet). Ventura is also a half-sister to dual Listed winner Rio Osa (Canny Lad) and to Ouachita (Canny Lad), the unraced dam of G1 Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi (Sidestep).

El Roca filly qualifies for Karaka Million 2YO

New Zealand based Fastnet Rock son El Roca featured at Eagle Farm with the victory by Liam Birchley-trained filly Dream Roca (NZ). Ridden by Ben Thompson, Dream Roca came up the centre of the track to chase down the leader debutant colt Star Of Jamaica (Profiteer) for trainers Chris and Corey Munce.

Once Dream Roca came clear, she was a little wayward, but Thompson kept her focused and she drew away to win by over two lengths. Star Of Jamaica was another two and a half lengths in front of third placed Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained filly One Day At A Time (Bivouac) who was having her second start after running third in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes on debut.

"She was quite professional the way she went about it," said Birchley.

"She will head over for the Karaka Millions as she is fully qualified for that now. She might have another run before that, hopefully we can draw a barrier when we go to New Zealand and we can give the Kiwis some curry."

Sales: Sold by Westbury Stud at the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$75,000 to Bloodstock Solutions.

Pedigree notes: Dream Roca is the first foal of five-time winner Petrachor (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) who has a Swiss Ace yearling filly. Petrachor is a half-sister to stakes placed Niobe (NZ) (Niello) from the family of G1 Australian Oaks winner Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi {GB}). G1 Otaki-Maori WFA Stakes winner Mascarpone (NZ) (Shooting To Win) also features in this family.

Better Than Ready does is again at the Gold Coast

There are some certainties in life; death, taxes, and Better Than Ready siring pre-Christmas juveniles in Queensland. The Lyndhurst Farm sire added his second two-year-old winner for the season when Bevan Laming-trained colt Ever So Ready won on debut at the Gold Coast. The victory took Better Than Ready to 123 lifetime juvenile winners which equates to 27% of all his winners.

Ever So Ready won by 1.58 lengths from Chris and Corey Munce-trained colt Monarchal (Zousain) with Stephen Lee-trained colt Nozomu (Dubious) in third.

Better Than Ready sired Magritte and Kickup Rocky ran third and fourth in the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes last weekend, while his eighth crop also features unbeaten 2-year-old gelding Better Blitzem who has already won twice this season.

Sales: Purchased by his trainer, who also owns him, for $55,000 from JJJ Thoroughbreds’ draft at the 2025 Capricornia Yearling Sale.

Pedigree notes: Ever So Ready is the second live foal of I’m Lovely (General Nediym) who has no returns recorded for 2024 or 2025. The unplaced mare is a half-sister to unraced Daunting (Testa Rossa), dam of G3 Mystic Journey Stakes-placed In Her Stride (Stratum Star).

The third dam of Ever So Ready is G1 Levin Bayer Classic winner Love De Tor (NZ) (Spectacular Love {USA}).

Alabama Express juvenile dashes to victory in New Zealand

Three scratchings left a field of four for the juvenile event over 1100 metres at Te Rapa, and it was Alabama Express filly Dashing Dixie (NZ) who led all the way to win for trainers Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott, under a rails ride by Masa Hashizume. She will head to the R.Listed Karaka Million 2YO next.

“It’s no surprise to the team that she did what she did today,” said O’Sullivan.

“With four runners, she just started to relax in front and quicken off the corner. The team certainly likes her, and as you say, she’s got a tick at the big lottery now. We’ll go through it when we get home and make a decision on where we go to there. It’d be good to have a runner (in the Millions).

“She still has a lot of improvement and she’s only going to continue from here.”

Sales: Sold by Elsdon Park at the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$340,000 to Wexford Stables.

Pedigree notes: Dashing Dixie becomes winner number 36 for Champion Sire Zoustar in the damsire role, and she’s one of two runners from Alabama Express’s third crop. The other is stakes placed Alibaba.

Dashing Dixie’s dam War Goddess (Zoustar) has no yearling, and her covering to Profondo for a 2025 result has yet to be returned to the New Zealand Stud Book. Dashing Dixie is her second foal, and her first foal is unraced 3-year-old gelding Ogun (Alabama Express).

War Goddess is out of Warzone (NZ) (Warpass {USA}), a daughter of G1 New Zealand Oaks winner She’s Country (NZ) (Kenfair {NZ}), the dam of G3 Cuddle Stakes winner She Rules (NZ) (Commands). This is also the family of young sire and G2 Caulfield Sprint winner Doull.