Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Aroused kicks off on debut at Ballarat
Grahame Begg-trained 3-year-old filly Aroused (Snitzel) was sent to Ballarat mid-week for a soft debut and she made it look easy for jockey Jordan Childs as she pulled clear to cruise to the line for a three length victory without being asked to extend.
Chasing hard was fellow debutant filly Scoville (Too Darn Hot {GB}) for trainer Ciaron Maher, while Robbie Griffiths-trained filly Unkechaug (Blue Point {Ire}) dashed home late from out wide for third.
Raced by John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, Aroused was the $2 favourite thanks to a second at the trials leading into this.
“It was a really good watch and congratulations to Grahame and all of our team and John Camilleri,” stable representative Rohan Hughes said.
“Beautiful filly, obviously well-bred and an expensive yearling. She has a great brain and good ability, but she still had to come here and execute and I was very impressed with the way she did that.
“Beautiful filly (Aroused), obviously well-bred and an expensive yearling. She has a great brain and good ability.” - Rohan Hughes
“It was a facile win in the end and she coasted to the line under hands and heels.”
Childs agreed with the assessment.
“She’s a really nice filly, going forward. She’s very professional in the way that she goes about things; jumps, puts herself in a spot, conserves energy and then quickens up sharply,” Childs said.
“I think they’ve got a nice horse on their hands.”
Sales: Milburn Creek offered her at Inglis Easter Yearling Sale where James Harron Bloodstock paid $700,000.
Pedigree: Aroused is the fourth foal and third winner for Sexy Eyes (Written Tycoon) who won the G3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes and Listed Weetwood Handicap among her six victories. She has a Wootton Bassett (GB) yearling colt and is due to foal to Switzerland.
Sexy Eyes is a half-sister to Listed Nudgee Handicap victrix Tina Melina (Jet Spur) and to five-time winner Innishbeg (Lonhro) who is the dam of G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Aspect (Pluck {USA}) and dual Listed winner Brown Ben (Big Brown {USA}).
Home Affairs quinella at Rosehill
Champion First Season Sire Home Affairs added winner number 27 when Ciaron Maher-trained 3-year-old colt Barracks headed home a quinella for his sire with the favourite Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old filly Affari three quarters of a length behind him in second. Barracks led for jockey Nash Rawiller and held on from Affari who has now put together four second placings in her last four starts.
Barracks placed in his first two starts at two, before running fourth to stablemate The Next Episode (Snitzel) in the Listed Dalrello Stakes. Wednesday’s effort was his first run at three.
Video: Watch Barracks' race replay at Rosehill Gardens, video courtesy of Racing NSW
“Whether it’s this prep or later on, he definitely has black type ability, but he is a long way off being at his best,” stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
“As you saw before the race, he had a good sweat today and still does a few things wrong, so we will see how he pulls up first and then decide if he goes to black type now or we go through his grades.”
“Whether it’s this prep or later on, he (Barracks) definitely has black type ability, but he is a long way off being at his best.” - Johann Gerard-Dubord
Rawiller thinks he’ll be even better in six months, which makes sense as Home Affairs didn’t win his first Group 1 under November’s G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and added the G1 Lightning Stakes in the autumn.
“He’s going to be a nice horse and has got better as he’s gone along,” Rawiller said.
“We’re learning about him as we go along and to his credit once he got the lead he pricked his ears and used his high cruising speed and kicked well. Hopefully in six months time when he gets out over seven furlongs he will be a nice horse.”
Johann Gerard-Dubois | Image courtesy of Ciaron Maher Racing
Sales: Ciaron Maher paid $420,000 for him from Cressfield’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Pedigree: Barraks is the fifth winner from six to race for G2 Ian McEwan Stakes winner Wild Rain (Manhattan Rain) who also placed in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes. She has previously produced G3 Birthday Card Stakes-placed winner of five races Spring Lee (Zoustar). Her 2-year-old colt has been named San Andres (Zoustar) and she recently foaled a full sister to Barracks.
Wild Rain is a half-sister to Listed Gosford Guineas-placed Flowerchild (Redoute’s Choice) who is the granddam of Group 3 winner Ethereum Girl (Maurice {Jpn}) and Listed winner Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard). This is the family of Horse Of The Year Northerly (Serheed {USA}) and dual Group 1 winner Overpass (Vancouver).
Low Key set for Listed race after Rosehill victory
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 3-year-old filly Low Key (Pinatubo {Ire}) was booted to the lead by jockey Tim Clark and had to fend off all-comers to cling on to victory by a third of a length. Sent out as a short favourite after resuming with a second to Threads (Snitzel) a fortnight ago who has since won again. Low Key had to be brave in a blanket finish.
“I probably left the race the other day a little bit disappointed that she did get beaten but you know looking back on the form after Threads has gone on and won a what was a sort of a Saturday race, albeit on a Sunday… it probably gave me a bit more confidence coming here today knowing that that form was really strong,” jockey Tim Clark said.
Video: Watch Low Key's race replay at Rosehill Gardens, video courtesy of Racing NSW
“She trained on well the first run, and it looked a lovely race for her. She's always shown that ability and hence the reason she started her career in a stakes race.”
Low Key made her debut in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes at two, won by Blue Door (Stay Inside) who added another group win over the weekend and has been selected to Newgate Farm’s G1 The Everest slot.
“She (Low Key) trained on well the first run, and it looked a lovely race for her. She's always shown that ability and hence the reason she started her career in a stakes race.” - Tim Clark
“There's a nice 3-year-old fillies race over the 1400 metres over the carnival for a filly like her that I think would be a nice natural progression,” Bott said, referring to the G3 Reginald Allen Quality.
“It's great to see you get that job done today because I think she deserves her crack at that level at some point.
“She might have just been out on her feet there late with that step up in trip and a little bit of early pressure there, which she was able to withstand, but, you know, I think now having that nice sort of foundation, that run at the 1400 metres, that'll set her up really well to take that step into that company.”
Low Key winning at Rosehill | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Low Key is the 14th Southern Hemisphere winner for Pinatubo (Ire) from his first crop of locally bred foals.
Sales: Sold by Highgrove Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $280,000, she runs in the Champion Thoroughbreds colours and was bought by her trainers, Kestrel Thoroughbreds, and Byron Rogers.
Pedigree: Low Key is the second foal and second winner for stakes placed Really Discreet (Helmet) whose 2-year-old colt by Anamoe has been entered for two separate breeze up sales. He breezed over 200 metres at Taupo in 10.72s and Woburn Farm is listed as his vendor at the Magic Millions Horses-In-Training Sale on October 12.
He is also listed as being offered by St Kilda Lodge as Lot 452 at the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale on November 18 and 19.
Really Discreet is a daughter of Group 1 winner Maybe Discreet (Shamardal {USA}) who also produced G2 Edward Manifold Stakes winner Too Darn Discreet (Too Darn Hot {GB}).
Interstate treble for So You Think
So You Think (NZ)’s loss was underwritten on Wednesday with three strong winners in Victoria and NSW.
Ciaron Maher-trained 3-year-old filly Levate (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) looked to have the third race at Ballarat under control for apprentice jockey Jabez Johnstone but Daniel Stackhouse was flying on Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained 3-year-old filly So Royal (So You Think {NZ}) who dived to win by 0.2 lengths. The So You Think filly was on debut and is owned by Hilldene Farm.
“She’s a nice filly. A work in progress but she keeps getting better and better every time she hits the track,” Stackhouse said.
“The race worked out well for her. I wanted to save a bit of ground and teach her a few things and she picked up well. It’s only her first time, and she’ll get a bit more ground too.”
“She’s (So Royal) a nice filly. A work in progress but she keeps getting better and better every time she hits the track.” - Daniel Stackhouse
So Royal is the third winner from four to race for Royal Amati (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), a winner of four races who is a half-sister to Listed winner and Group 1-placed Winged Cupid (Ire) (In The Wings {GB}).
A few races later at Ballarat, So You Think got the double when Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Yauson carried 60kg to victory over a mile with jockey Jordan Childs doing the steering. The 4-year-old gelding has now won three of his six starts and was sold by Segenhoe Stud for $240,000 to PL Bloodstock at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Yauson is out of stakes placed Brulee (Hinchinbrook), who has three stakes winning siblings including Serene Majesty (Fastnet Rock) whose Anamoe colt will be offered by BMD Bloodstock as Lot 110 at the upcoming Inglis Ready2Race Sale. He breezed in 10.54 at Taupo.
Group 3 winner Ducasse (Trapeze Artist) and Listed winner Curdled (All Too Hard) are the other stakes winning siblings to Yauson’s dam.
Chris Waller and Tommy Berry combined to win at Rosehill with 4-year-old Think Itz You, who made it two wins in succession. Waller and Tim Roberts Bloodstock paid $150,00 for Think Itz You at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from Widden Stud’s draft. He took his record to three wins from 11 starts and exactly $150,000 in earnings.
He is the first foal and only runner for Itz Lily (Snitzel) who is a daughter of G1 Victoria Oaks-placed Empress Lily (Zabeel {NZ}). A tough race mare, Itz Lily won eight races and was fourth in the G2 The Roses in Queensland.
