Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
When Cool Gent swept down the outside to claim Saturday's Listed Oxlade Stakes at Eagle Farm, it was more than just another juvenile stakes winner. It was the culmination of patience, hard work and a sharp eye for an athlete, transforming a modest $9,000 yearling purchase into a black-type performer and one of the bargain buys of the season.
Purchased by Sunshine Coast co-trainer Adam Barling from the Marlou Park draft at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale, the exciting gelding has now banked $131,685 in prizemoney, delivering a remarkable return on investment for his connections.
Cool Gent (Winning Rupert) is the first stakes winner for winning Not A Single Doubt mare Snip Me Not, but not her first stakes performer - that honour belongs to Listed Phelan Ready Stakes placegetter Butwedid (Performer).
The extended family features horses such as G2 Tulloch Stakes winners Hermod (Planet Kingdom) and Lease (Quest For Fame {GB}).
Cool Gent | Image courtesy of Racing Queensland
Snip Me Not delivered a filly by Red Resistance in the spring and was subsequently left empty.
The son of Winning Rupert also provided his sire with a significant milestone, becoming the seventh stakes winner, and first juvenile stakes winner for the G2 Champagne Classic winner, who stands for $6600 inc GST at Western Australia's Westbury Park Stud.
From overlooked outsider to Listed winner
The market largely overlooked Cool Gent ahead of Saturday's Listed Oxlade Stakes, allowing the Shane and Adam Barling-trained gelding to start at $31.
Jumping from the outside barrier, jockey Tyler Schiller elected to settle the gelding towards the rear, with Cool Gent drifting as far back as five lengths off the leader before the field straightened for home.
As the race unfolded, leader Run Like A Girl (Supido) was finally reeled in during the final 300 metres, opening the door for the fast-finishing Cool Gent. Producing his trademark late surge, he weaved through runners to score by three-quarters of a length over the well-fancied Marffiano (Home Affairs).
The performance continued a strong preparation after Cool Gent had broken through for victory at the Sunshine Coast two starts earlier, with the stakes success highlighting the extensive work that has gone into the gelding behind the scenes.
Adam Barling | Image courtesy of Vision Equine
For Barling, who trains in partnership with his father Shane, Cool Gent's emergence has come as little surprise.
“He's a horse that's always had a lot of ability,” said Barling.
“He's (Cool Gent) a horse that's always had a lot of ability.” - Adam Barling
“He does do a little bit wrong in the barriers; getting out and so forth.
“We've done a lot of work to try and rectify that. I put my head down when the gates opened and he still knows how to get the job done, and that he did.”
I have learnt from one of the best
While Cool Gent's racetrack performances have captured attention, Barling was quick to acknowledge the influence that respected horseman Liam Birchley has had on his development as a buyer and horseman.
For Barling, the lesson has always been simple - find the athlete first.
“He (Cool Gent) was huge. It's such a rewarding moment to have a winner of a big race like that and to do it with a bunch of very loyal clients and friends made it even more special.
When asked about the origins of purchasing the horse.
Liam Birchley | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“I have learnt from one of the best in Liam Birchley, he has instilled in me that you have to buy an athlete, you have to buy the right product to have something to work with, and that's the mould I went looking for when I purchased Cool Gent.
“I have learnt from one of the best in Liam Birchley, he has instilled in me that you have to buy an athlete, you have to buy the right product to have something to work with.” - Adam Barling
“Liam taught me that if you buy the right athlete, then they will make you look good and I think this is the case with this horse.
“You have to look for that performer, that has everything in the right place, which he does.”
“When buying I don't really look at the pedigree, I'm looking at the type of horse and then looking at the pedigree afterwards to see how much they might cost.
Cool Gent as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Barling was quick to mention that the win was even more rewarding with the fact he has a lot of good friends and loyal clients in the horse.
“I have some really close friends in the horses, very loyal owners that have had a lot of horses with me in the past as well, so for them to get this success means just as mch to me.”
He loves to attack the line
One of Cool Gent's most notable attributes is his ability to settle back in the field before unleashing a powerful finishing burst.
That trait was again on display in the Oxlade Stakes, where he was last of the 14 runners at the 400-metre mark before charging over the top of his rivals. It is a style rarely associated with 2-year-olds, but one that has quickly become a trademark of the gelding.
“He really pins the ears and attacks the line, he has great determination and you can’t find that automatically at a yearling sale.
“He has shown me some unbelievable stuff on the training track, massive stride length and can quicken when you need him to.”
“He (Cool Gent) has shown me some unbelievable stuff on the training track, massive stride length and can quicken when you need him to.” - Adam Barling
Given Cool Gent's racing pattern, Barling admitted he was not entirely relaxed when his gelding settled near the tail of the field on Saturday.
“Not really, when you are back that far against that calibre of horses it does make it very tough.
“But he handles wet ground very well and I knew that he has a turn of foot in it so I was hoping, and when he started going through his gears I knew he would finish strong.”
Decisions ahead as offers arrive
The Listed success has inevitably generated interest from prospective buyers, leaving connections with several decisions to make over the coming weeks.
While offers have already started arriving, Barling believes there may still be more improvement to come from the talented juvenile.
“As everyone can probably imagine we have had some pretty decent offers come floating in,” Barling said.
“I do think he will keep improving, there is a lovely race for him in two weeks time, the Tattersall’s Stakes over 1400 metres, another Listed race and going off what he beat on Saturday, I would think it would be pretty similar type of field and we would happily take that on again.
“I do think he (Cool Gent) will keep improving, there is a lovely race for him in two weeks time, the Tattersall’s Stakes over 1400 metres, another Listed race.” - Adam Barling
“It looks like he has pulled up really well, but he will tell us whether we go for that race or not. I also have to have a bit of a chat with the owners to see whether we entertain these offers.
“One big thing about him looking forward is the fact that he is Magic Millions and QTIS qualified, which brings him so many different options, so if you get it right you can make a fair bit of money.”
“You do have to be realistic with the offers that are put forward though, so we will see.”
The result also shone a light on the broader team behind the stable, with Barling eager to acknowledge the role of respected Toowoomba educator Joe Gleeson.
“We have the right system in place to get these early runners, Joe Gleeson is a master of the babies and he does our education process, and they come to the stable ready-made, so we are very grateful for that.
“We have the right system in place to get these early runners, Joe Gleeson is a master of the babies and he does our education process, and they come to the stable ready-made, so we are very grateful for that.” - Adam Barling
“They get every chance and Joe does such a great job with them.”
Plenty to look forward to
The success of Cool Gent has provided further momentum for the Barling stable, which continues to build a promising team of horses and loyal supporters.
Interestingly, Barling may have already found another familiar prospect during the recent Magic Millions sales.
“The stable is looking pretty good, we actually went to Magics in June to buy a nice horse and ended up with a Winning Rupert. I used the usual theory and didn’t look at the catalogue, so to be a Winning Rupert again is quite ironic. I would say he is a much better type than Cool Gent, so hopefully lightning can strike twice.”
Lot 1099: Winning Rupert x Divine Stryke colt | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
That purchase was Lot 1099 under the Bloodstock Solutions banner - a Winning Rupert colt out of the winning Stryker mare Divine Stryke out of the Infinity Thoroughbreds draft, Divine Stryke is a half-sister to the four-time Listed winner Vatican (God's Own) and the nine-time winner and Listed-placed Adjuster (Purrealist).
For Barling, however, the result carried significance well beyond prizemoney and black type.
Working alongside his father Shane has made the journey all the more rewarding.
“My father is starting to take a bit of a backstep now. He's trained for a lot of years as a hobbyist, starting with harness horses before the gallopers.
Connections of Cool Gent after winning the Listed Oxlade Stakes | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He's got a lot of satisfaction from this result, so I’m very happy for him as well as my good friends. To win a race with good clients and friends and family, it doesn’t get much better.
“I’m very happy for him (Shane Barling) as well as my good friends. To win a race with good clients and friends and family, it doesn’t get much better.” - Adam Barling
“It’s taken me a while to go full steam into my training but I'm getting a nice team together and fingers crossed we can go on from here. My father sort of was a little bit hesitant towards me doing the training full time. For him to still be training with me for this win is just very rewarding and hopefully I can build from here.
