Wednesday Racing: Blessed Eagle combines speed and toughness to salute

Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

Blessed Eagle digs deep to make winning debut

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 3-year-old colt Blessed Eagle (Farnan) was backed into favouritism to deliver on debut at Warwick Farm after showing plenty of talent at the trials, and the well-bred colt did exactly that, impressively showing early speed as well as toughness late to get the chocolates for his connections.

Tim Clark bounced Blessed Eagle out of his wide gate quickly and took up the running, with the smart Bjorn Baker-trained Profiteer filly Profitabelle sitting outside the leader in the hands of Tommy Berry. Artemex (Extreme Choice) settled in the one-one and the Chris Waller-trained Wild Ruler filly Saffron Veil was well back on the inside but sneaking up as the race progressed.

At about the 250-metre mark, Profitabelle loomed and appeared to travel better than Blessed Eagle and the two promising 3-year-olds were battling it out. At the 50-metre mark, Blessed Eagle had the advantage and looked likely, but Saffron Veil dashed late to just miss catching Blessed Eagle by a nose and would have been the clear winner with another stride.

Profitabelle had to be content with third, but only being beaten by not more than a long neck.

Winning trainer Adrian Bott was pleased with the toughness Blessed Eagle showed on debut.

“Great effort from the horse. Good, tough win there.

“The two horses in the lead there may have just been getting tired late. I think for him, he was just still a little bit new and a little bit raw. I think he was sort of waiting for those horses to an extent. When they came, he obviously really rallied and responded really well.

“I think he's got a lot to learn. Obviously, brilliant natural speed and I think Tim more so just allowed to utilise that throughout the run.

“He was nice and fit and forward for today, so I'm just delighted for John Moore and his partners and it's an honour to be training for him.

“I think he's very much just a natural speed horse, so we will obviously look at something over the spring for him. But yeah, John might be very good to bounce a few ideas off.”

Winning jockey Tim Clark believes he is the kind of type that could keep on improving and is one to follow.

“He's definitely a horse with upside going forward. I just love his attitude,” said Clark.

“He wants to work with you and he was a bit new throughout the run like early on just wanting to get away from.

“You saw down the straight he just didn't quite completely flatten out earlier, it just took him a little while to reach his top and you know he was challenged by the horse on my outside quite early and he responded well. I thought I'd just held on the line I'm glad to see the number in the frame.

“I think when he gets over a little bit further, he can just travel a lot more comfortably, and I still feel that he will have that good turn of foot at the back end of his races.”

Sales info: Blessed Eagle was purchased for $525,000 by George Moore Bloodstock from the Kia Ora Stud draft at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Pedigree info: Blessed Eagle is out of the Canadian Group 3-winner Jennifer Lynnette (Can) (Elusive Quality {USA}), who was purchased by Kia Ora Stud for US$575,000 at the 2018 Fasig Tipton Kentucky November Mixed Sale.

Jennifer Lynnette has already proved herself at stud, with her first foal Royal Tribute (Snitzel) having won the Listed Gosford Guineas among his two wins.

This is also the family of the Group 3-winner and stallion Ishiguru (USA), the dual American Group 1-winner Strategic Maneuver (USA) (Cryptoclearance {USA}) and the American Group 2-winner Cat Fighter (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}).

Jennifer Lynnette, in recent times, has left a 2-year-old filly named Sueno (Snitzel) who was passed in for $450,000 at this year’s Magic Millions yearling sale and is now raced by Kia Ora Stud from the stable of Philip and Tommy Stokes, a yearling filly by Snitzel and is due to foal to Farnan early next month.

Somethings Burnin’ lights up the turf at Sandown

The pre-race talk and the betting action were dominated by the good-looking Godolphin colt Zambales (Pinatubo {Ire}), who ran fourth twice at Group 1 level as a juvenile and was Group 2 and Listed-placed ahead of the 3-year-old handicap at Sandown.

But all the talk afterwards was about the well-bred Somethings Burnin’ (Too Darn Hot), who was simply too good for his opposition in the Glenn Ritchie colours for trainer Chris Waller.

Mark Zahra aboard Legality (Toronado {Ire}) took up the running, with Ethan Brown slotting Zambales straight outside the leader, while Zoehrer (Toronado {Ire}) was in the trail and Boys Bounce (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the one-one position.

Legality travelled strongly and kicked hard, getting the favourite Zambales straight off the bit. Meanwhile, Damian Lane aboard Somethings Burnin’ snuck some runs along the inner from well back and, in the end, dominated to score by a length from Zambales, who battled on well without ever really looking like the winner.

Boys Bounce ran on solidly for third after racing a bit greenly, so could be one to follow, while Zoehrer was a solid run in fourth in what could potentially become a hot form race.

“We were pretty confident today, although he’s been extremely unlucky with barrier draws, so we’ve had to scratch a few times and give him a third trial, so he was pretty fit,” said stable representative Lizzie Collett.

“He did a few things wrong last prep, but he’s getting there and just taking time to mature. He did things right today and finished off extremely well.”

Damian Lane was well pleased with Somethings Burnin’ and suggests there is a lot more to come for the well-bred colt.

“He’s trialled really well this preparation and is starting to put it together which is a good sign,” he said.

“I was quite negative from the gates and was really happy with how he settled and travelled throughout the run.”

Sales info: Somethings Burnin’ was purchased for $850,000 by Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the Widden Stud draft at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Pedigree info: Somethings Burnin’ is the second live-foal out of the classy Foxwedge mare Aristocratic Miss, who was a four-time winner up to 2100 metres and multiple times Group-placed. Her first foal Zoucratic (Zoustar) has already been a dual winner in his career.

Something Burnin’s grandam Golden Pedigree (Gold Brose) was a Listed winner as a 2-year-old, and the family includes the G1 Metropolitan Handicap winner The Verminator (Jeune {GB}) and the dual West Australian stakes winner Liberty’s Gem (Statue Of Liberty {USA}).

Aristocratic Miss in recent times has left a yearling filly by Supido and is due to foal next month to Broadsiding.

Queen’s Gamble brilliant at Warwick Farm

No one could say that the Matthew Smith-trained Queen’s Gamble (Anders) was not deserving of a maiden win after placing in all three of her previous starts, and on Wednesday at Warwick Farm she picked the right race to get the result. She picked up a $100,000 Inglis bonus to go with the $48,000 winners’ purse, a great result for connections after her trainer picked her up for only $25,000 as a yearling.

She jumped as a loose second favourite as the beautifully-bred Satin Serenade (Frankel {GB}) went out as a $1.35 favourite, but it was the Anders filly that scored convincingly in the hands of Tommy Berry.

It was Wendell (Written Tycoon) that took up the running in the hands of Regan Bayliss, with the Queensland raider Sheza Boom (Spirit Of Boom) sitting outside the leader. James McDonald slotted the hot favourite Satin Serenade straight to the trail, while Berry was riding a quiet, patient race back about third last.

Just after straightening, McDonald made his run near the rail and took the lead, but out wide it was evident that Berry was making a winning run on Queen's Gamble, and so it proved as she scored in style by two and a half lengths from Satin Serenade, who ran well and should enjoy more ground. Albert Palais (Snitzel) ran on nicely for third, over four lengths behind the winner.

“It was a very good win and a very good ride as Tommy was patient when he needed to be and it was a good win,” said Matthew Smith.

“The fact Tommy stayed with her today was a big plus and he could have easily jumped on to something else, but he thought there was more in the tank than what we were seeing and he was confident when she got over a bit further she would be better. She was very impressive today.

“She came off a good farm, being Widden Stud bred and wasn’t an expensive yearling, but was a really good type and it’s great to see her pull this race off today."

Sales info: Queen’s Gamble was purchased by Matthew C Smith Racing Pty Limited for $25,000 out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Pedigree info: Queen’s Gamble is the fifth live-foal out of the unraced Zoustar mare Gifted Queen. The family is a little quiet on black type up close, but it is a very strong extended female family that features the smart black type winning sprinters Invictus Salute (Exceed And Excel), Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}), Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock), and the stallions Ozzmosis, Acrobat and Splintex.

Gifted Queen in recent times has left a yearling colt by Admire Mars (Jpn) and is due to foal to Trapeze Artist any day now.

Saintly Dancer heads a Maher first four at Sandown

It was the dominant Ciaron Maher stable that took control of the 3-year-old fillies maiden plate over 1200 metres at Sandown as the four fillies he had accepted ended up running the first four, headlined by the St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) filly Saintly Dancer (NZ), ridden by star apprentice Jabez Johnstone.

It was a competitive affair early as plenty had their eyes on the lead, but in the end it was Luke Nolen aboard Amira Dubai (Exceed And Excel) who took up the running, with Ethan Brown aboard the race favourite Ghana’s Akan (Street Boss {USA}), who placed at stakes level behind the subsequent Group 1-winner Fireball (Snitzel) last campaign, sitting outside the leader, while Jabez Johnstone slotted Saintly Dancer into the trail.

On straightening, Brown took control aboard Ghana’s Akan and looked likely, but Johnstone pushed Saintly Dancer to her inside and was slightly too strong by half a length, with Maher’s other runners, the Frankel (GB) fillies Platinum Pearl and Stipulation, both running well for third and fourth respectively.

But all honours lie with Saintly Dancer, with all of Maher’s four fillies deserving to be followed as they are well-bred and just starting their campaigns, as Maher’s National Assistant trainer Jack Turnbull commented.

"It could set us up for a good time," Turnbull said.

"Credit to Saintly Dancer, she was really good from a nice economical run.

"We expected her to run well, the fact she's won in this class of race, she's beaten a really good filly in Ghana's, it sets us up to have a look at some better races."

"She travelled like she was going to go on with it," Turnbull said about Ghana's Akan.

"When you've got a filly like Saintly (Dancer) coming off her back, who's very lightly raced and we don't know her ceiling, it could prove to be a very good form race."

Winning jockey Jabez Johnstone was impressed with Saintly Dancer’s effort after showing signs of her talent first-up.

"She's a talent," Johnstone said.

"Her first up effort at Geelong was outstanding (second) for a first start in a race and she was very impressive then.

"To come here and put away a field like that says a lot. We had a perfect run in behind and she puts herself where she needs to be."

Sales Info: Saintly Dancer was purchased for $100,000 by First Light Racing Pty Ltd and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from the Wentwood Grange draft at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Pedigree info: Saintly Dancer is one of two winners out of the winning So You Think (NZ) mare Thinkyoucandance. Saintly Dancer’s grandam Orchestrator (USA) (Bernstein {USA}) was a Group 3-winner in America.

This is also the extended family of the Group 1-winning mare Diplomat Lady (USA) (Forestry {USA}) and the Group 2-winner and stallion Zululand.

Thinkyoucandance in recent times has left a 2-year-old filly by Sword Of State and is due to foal to Derryn this spring.