Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Spice Prawn sizzles in Warwick Farm opener
The well-bred Spice Prawn (Too Darn Hot {GB}) returned to the scene of her first victory at Warwick Farm to repeat the effort on Wednesday, taking out the opening event by a length and a half.
The 3-year-old filly, who is trained by Peter Snowden, patiently waited midpack for an opening and eventually had to fight through the scrum in the home straight to overtake the frontrunning Coulter (Exceed And Excel) and fly home. Tequisoda (Pierro) fought to the finish to run third by a nose to Coulter.
Having run second over the mile trip at her previous start at Kembla Grange, the filly relished returning to the trip in Wednesday’s opener, and received strong praise from Snowden for her tenacity to the line.
“She's done a great job,” he said. “She's been at work a long time, and she's been running some good races without much luck.
“We just found she's just one dimensional - we've got to ride her quiet, just save her for one run, and Tommy (Sherry) executed perfectly today.
Peter Snowden | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She's been up a long time. She's had a trip to Brisbane and back, but she's so tough. She mightn’t be the best horse in the stable, but she's one of the toughest. And there's some really good owners in her too that really would appreciate that today.”
“She (Spice Prawn) mightn’t be the best horse in the stable, but she's one of the toughest.” - Peter Snowden
Winning rider Tom Sherry concurred, saying, “she's a pleasure to ride. I had a bit to do with her at home and she's got a wonderful ownership group and they've been really kind to me, keeping me on and giving me the opportunity, but she deserved that today.”
The filly is the winner of two of her 13 starts, as well as running two placings, with the prize money from Wednesday’s win taking her earnings to over the $147,000 mark.
Sales: Spice Prawn was bred and is raced by Mr D C Kelly and Mrs J R Kelly.
Spice Prawn winning at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Pedigree: Spice Prawn is the fourth foal out of the classy mare Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor), she was a dual Group 1 winner and was successful in the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara and the Canterbury Stakes among her seven wins. She has left three winners with Great Barrier Reef (I Am Invincible) winning three times as well as running fourth in the G3 Red Anchor Stakes.
Spice Prawn comes from a deep and strong family; her grandam Crevette (Danehill {USA}) was a three-time Listed winner and her great grandam is the Group 2 winner Twiglet (Twig Moss {Fr}), who was an outstanding broodmare leaving the Champion Hong Kong horse Fairy King Prawn (Danehill {USA}) and the Group 1-winning sprinter and stallion Easy Rocking.
Cosmic Endeavour, in recent times, has left a 2-year-old filly by Pinatubo (Ire) and was most recently served by Home Affairs.
Vega Vixen outfoxes her rivals
The winner of all four of her educational jump-outs, it seemed like Vega Vixen (Lucky Vega {Ire}) was destined to deliver on debut, and she did just that in the second race at Caulfield Heath on Wednesday.
Prepared by Tony and Calvin McEvoy to carry the Yulong bottle green and white, the juvenile filly was quick out of the gates and slotted in behind the early leaders, Our Brave Boy (Brave Smash {Jpn}) and Rubare (Rubick). At the crest of the final furlong, Rubare looked to have the race in the bag, but Vega Vixen turned up the heat and surged past the leaders to win by a length and a quarter.
Sales: Vega Vixen was bred and is raced by Yulong Investments.
Pedigree: Vega Vixen is the second foal out of the three-time winner Cathay (Deep Field), her first foal Cathay Express (Alabama Express) has been metropolitan placed in South Australia.
Cathay is a three-quarter-sister to the five-time Hong Kong-winning gelding My Sugar (Deep Field) and is out of the Listed winner Cathay Lady (Exceed And Excel). This is also the extended family of the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner and new Vinery Stud stallion Tropicus.
In recent times, Cathay has left a weanling filly by Grunt (NZ), and was served by Benbatl (GB) last spring.
Hello Captain salutes for second time
Promising 3-year-old Hello Captain (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) made it two wins in three starts for the Waller stable when kicking his preparation off at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. The gelding had previously recorded a second placing and a win in Queensland over the summer, and brought that class with him to the midweek Sydney meet.
Shuffled back to last from the barriers, Hello Captain needed to head wide with James McDonald once rounding the home turn, but the extra ground proved to be no problem for the gelding, who dashed home to lead in a Waller trifecta by three quarters of a length over stablemate Nandina (So You Think {NZ}), with Wootton Way (Wootton Bassett {GB}) another three-quarter-length away in third.
“He showed glimpses of that (ability) in Queensland, hence why we brought him back to Sydney,” Waller said. “He’s well-bred being by Hello Youmzain and I think he’ll win his next one too.”
“He is a beautiful horse and he will shoot through the grades,” said McDonald, who thought the gelding would benefit from stepping up in trip. “He was a bit rocky in the gates and he came out slowly and didn’t muster speed, so going up in distance will help him.”
Sales: Hello Captain was purchased for NZ$425,000 by Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Hello Captain (NZ) | Image courtsy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Pedigree: Hello Captain is the fourth winner from five starters for Steer By The Stars (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), a juvenile winner who produced the Listed Carnavon Stakes winner Never Back Down (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) before her journey south to Australia. Her current 2-year-old Persian Wonder is a full brother to Hello Captain, and was second in the G3 TL Baillieu Stakes and fourth in the G3 Pago Pago Stakes earlier in the autumn.
A granddaughter of Listed victress and prolific producer Wild Planet (USA) (Nureyev {USA}), Steer By The Stars is a half-sister to the Listed winners Consort (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Her World (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}), as well as closely related to G1 Spinster Stakes winner Aruna (USA) (Mr Greeley {USA}) and stakes-winning, Group 1-performed stallion Honoured Guest (Ire).
Steer By The Stars left a yearling filly by Farnan, who was purchased by Shijiazhuang Hongtao Horse Breeding for NZ$160,000 at this year's Karaka sale, before the mare sadly died in 2025.
