Cover image courtesy of Canberra Thoroughbred Park
Race-day Recap
All Too Hard celebrated his second juvenile stakes winner of the season when Music Time won the G3 Black Opal Stakes for local trainer Gratz Vella.
The Listed Canberra Guineas was won by Michael Freedman-trained 3-year-old gelding Aerodrome (Ole Kirk) to become his second season sire's sixth stakes winner.
The Listed National Sprint trifecta went to three of the Freedman brothers, with Anthony and Sam Freedman training the winner Green Fly (GB) (Frankel {GB}). He becomes the 173rd stakes winner for his sire.
Touristic (GB) gave his sire Frankel (GB) a stakes double for the day when winning the Listed Canberra Cup for trainer Peter Snowden.
The Black Opal stays home
Local Canberra trainer Gratz Vella won the G3 Black Opal Stakes for the second time in his career with 2-year-old gelding Music Time (All Too Hard). Music Time and Nick Olive-trained Bar Jester (Sandbar) rounded the turn ahead of the field but it was Music Time, for jockey Pierre Boudvillain, who skipped clear.
Peter Snowden-trained Pearl Of Dubai (Wootton Bassett {GB}) flew home late for second, 1.7 lengths behind the winner, with Ciaron Maher-trained Threads (Snitzel) beating home Bar Jester for third.
“From day one he has shown me that he could be competitive in a Black Opal and have a look at what he did today. He did it hard and I didn't expect him to go forward like that and take on the horse in front. But just the way he finished was unreal,” Vella said. He previously won this race in 2011 with You're Canny (Canny Lad).
Winner of three of his four starts, and second on debut in the other, Music Time will go out for a spell rather than press on to the G1 Golden Slipper.
“I'm going to be fair to him so he's going out for a spell now and it will get him matured and hopefully when he comes back we can look to bigger and better things.” He took his earnings over $180,000 and is the second juvenile stakes winner for his sire All Too Hard this season after Hard Kick won the Listed Talindert Stakes on debut in mid-February.
Music Time as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Sales: Vinery Stud sold Music Time for $45,000 to Vella Racing at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Pedigree: Music Time becomes the 33rd stakes winner for All Too Hard. He is a half-brother to Listed winner Little Miss Kubi (Headwater) and the pair are two of the four winners, from four to race, for Miss Eisenstadt (Manhattan Rain).
Miss Eisenstadt is an unraced daughter of G2 Shorts Handicap winner Fritz’s Princess (More Than Ready {USA}) who placed in the G1 Winter Stakes and G1 Galaxy Handicap. This is the family of G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner and sire Align.
Vinery's big day
On a soft track in Canberra, 3-year-old gelding Aerodrome (Ole Kirk) led into the straight under jockey Regan Bayliss and dug deep to hold on to his lead and win by three-quarters of a length from locally trained Cando Attitude (D’Argento) for trainers Barbara Joseph, Paul and Matt Jones. Close behind in third was John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Azarax (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}).
Aerodrome's victory meant that both the juvenile and 3-year-old stakes races on the card went to stallions standing at Vinery Stud in All Too Hard and Ole Kirk, respectively.
Michael Freedman-trained Aerodrome, who won his first two starts at two, has improved after being gelded, and now has three wins from seven starts with earnings over $299,000.
Sales: A 10% share in Aerodrome was sold via Inglis Digital in February for $16,000, bought by Dr Philip Ho, valuing him at $160,000. He was initially sold by Gilgai Farm to Nine9Park for $190,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. Gilgai Farm sold his yearling full sister at the recent Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $430,000 to Bennett Racing.
Pedigree: Aerodrome is the sixth stakes winner for second season sire Ole Kirk. He is the first foal of G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce Stakes victrix She Shao Fly (Epaulette) who is a half-sister to G1 South African Derby-placed Samurai Blade (Where’s That Tiger {USA}).
Aerodrome as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Freedman trifecta in Listed National Sprint
A result for the trivia enthusiasts occurred in the Listed National Sprint, won by Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Green Fly (GB) (Frankel {GB}) from Michael Freedman-trained Ducasse (Trapeze Artist) with Richard and Will Freedman-trained Magnatear (Written Tycoon) in third. Anthony, Richard, and Michael are brothers, along with Lee Freedman, while Sam and Will are cousins being sons of the Freedman that they are in a training partnership with.
Green Fly flew home from last to nail the other two horses on the line to win by an official margin of 0.3 lengths for the 1400-metre event. He took his record to seven wins from 35 starts with earnings over $600,000.
Green Fly won twice in France and was Listed-placed before arriving in Australia in 2022. This was only his third start in stakes company since arriving here, with his previous best being a fourth in the Listed Carrington Stakes three starts ago.
Sales: Saint Pair sold Green Fly as a yearling via the Arqana Deauville Select Yearling Sale for €280,000 (AU$462,000). He was later a private sale to Australian interests.
Pedigree: Green Fly becomes Frankel’s 173rd stakes winner. He is the second foal of Listed Saint-Cloud Prix Coronation winner Via Pisa (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) who placed in the G1 Roma Premio Lydia Tesio. Her subsequent three foals are all unraced.
Via Pisa is a half-sister to Champion 2YO Colt in Japan and shuttle sire Admire Mars (Jpn) who won three Group 1 races, as well as Listed winner Via Firenze (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Their dam is Group 3 winner Via Medici (Ire) (Medicean {GB}).
A Frankel double for the day
Juddmonte’s Champion Sire Frankel (GB) celebrated a stakes double for the day when Peter Snowden-trained Touristic (GB) took home honours in the Listed Canberra Cup over 2000 metres.
The 7-year-old gelding has a habit of mixing his form, coming into this race off a last start 12th in the Listed Parramatta Cup, but he went wide on the turn for jockey Andrew Atkins and steadily made his way to the lead down the straight. Flashing home slightly too late from even wider was Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter-trained Geemes (Grunt {NZ}) who only missed by a third of a length. Chris Waller-trained Travolta (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) was third.
Video: Watch race replay of Touristic at Canberra on Sunday, vision courtesy of Racing NSW
Touristic takes his record to six wins from 45 starts with earnings over $799,000. Twice a winner in France, he arrived in Australia in December 2022, and won the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup in May 2025.
Sales: Offered at the Arqana Summer Sale in 2022 but withdrawn.
Pedigree: One of Frankel’s 173 stakes winners, Touristic is the first foal of Listed Grand Criterium du Languedoc winner Heuristique (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}). She also placed in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. Four of her five foals since Touristic are unraced with only one making it to the races without scoring.
Heuristique is a half-sister to Champion Older Male in Italy and Group 2 winner Assiro (GB) (Declaration Of War {USA}).
