Aaron Test – Mills hopes filly proves a Charm in historic Golden Rose bid

By Trevor Marshallsea

And if she can, she may have a change of bedding to thank.

Seeking to bring successive wins in $1 million three-year-old Group 1 for Kent and co-trainer Mick Price, and jockey Damian Lane, after that of Widden Stud’s new sire Jacquinot (Rubick) last year, Charm Stone will attempt to buck some sizable history.

Since the race’s inception in 1978 as the Peter Pan Stakes – which became the Golden Rose in 2003 and hit Group 1 status in 2009 – only four females have been successful.

No filly has won since Forensics – daughter of another previously-winning stallion in Flying Spur (Danehill) – in 2008. Significantly, the race was run in autumn that year due to equine influenza.

And 14 of the past 15 winners have been colts who’ve ended up standing at stud, including such in-demand sires as Zoustar (Northern Meteor), Astern (Medaglia D’Oro) and The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice).

Despite that backdrop, Charm Stone comes into the 1400-metre test among the leading five chances in betting in a cracking 12-horse field, as she seeks her third straight win of this affirming campaign. Drawing gate one, she was last night around the $5.50 mark in an engrossingly even market.

With the Rosehill track a Good 4 despite some showers around Sydney, Godolphin’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) runner-up Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) held favouritism at $4.40 as he also seeks three straight wins this preparation. He was just ahead of Coolmore’s resuming Shinzo (Snitzel), the Chris Waller-trained colt making his eagerly awaited reappearance today, when he’ll again be ridden by his Slipper-winning English partner Ryan Moore.

Shinzo’s ATC Sires (Gr 1, 1400m)-Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) double-winning stablemate Militarize (Dundeel) was around $6.50, just ahead of the most prominent of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s two runners King Colorado (Kingman), and last-start Ming Dynasty Quality (Gr 3, 1400m) winner Encap (Capitalist, $10).

If Charm Stone can prevail it will not only break a drought for females – after an emerging filly named In Secret (I Am Invincible) came within a neck of doing so in her fifth start last year – it will also fly the flag for the much-discussed million-dollar yearling.

The third foal of Emirates Park’s dual Group 3-winning mare Najoom (Northern Meteor), Charm Stone was the highest-priced filly – and the third top lot – at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast sale, when bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills fought hard to secure her for $1.55 million. Not only is she the sole filly in the field but by far the most expensive entrant to go through a sale, the second-top being $825,000 colt Snapback (Snitzel), a 100-1 shot today.

Raced by a  Magic Millions bonus-chasing all-female team of the wives of Mills and associates,  including mega owner Rob Cummings, Charm Stone’s initial moves towards recouping her hefty cost were a little unsteady.

Some early missteps meant she had to trial on the Monday before her first race on Saturday, October 1 to attain her barrier certificate. Kent recalled that “wasn’t ideal”, but she still performed well with a debut third in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) – still her only run against males until today.

Charm Stone then showed her true potential with a one-and-three-quarter-length victory over the same course and distance in Flemington’s Ottawa Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m), but resumed with a disappointing sixth, as favourite, in the fillies’ Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr 2, 1100m) at Sandown.

There were, however, excuses found which prompted some exploration and change at the stable, Kent said, and they might have been the catalyst for the filly living up to her potential – and her price tag – so far this campaign.

“She made a respiratory noise in the run at Sandown, and we think that’s why she stopped pretty quickly in the straight,” Kent told ANZ Bloodstock News.

“We found out she had fairly severe pharyngitis. That can be a bit of an immaturity thing, but we also found having her bedded on wood shavings contributed to it – that she must have a hyper-sensitive throat or some some sort of allergy in the shavings. And if they’ve got a red-raw inflamed throat, they can breathe abnormally in the run and it can also displace their soft palate.

“So, even the first week back in the stable this prep she was on shavings, but then we changed her to paper bedding, and as soon as we did, the pharyngitis went away, and consequently she’s got a perfect throat that functions perfectly.”

That’s been evidenced in Charm Stone’s two runs this campaign, a swooping neck win in Caulfield’s Quezette Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), and a powerful one-and-a-quarter-length success from just off the pace in Moonee Valley’s Atlantic Jewel Stakes (Listed, 1200m).

Trainer Gerald Ryan, hosting Charm Stone at his Rosehill stables, has arranged for more shredded paper for the filly this week – even if it may hurt the chances of his $41 shot General Salute (Russian Revolution).

“She’s arrived in Sydney perfectly, just as everything else has gone to plan this preparation,” Kent said. “She’s had two canters at Rosehill and she’s been beautiful and cool, temperament-wise.

“Mentally she’s really grown up now. From day one, she’s had really good talent, but like a lot of I Am Invincible fillies, she could be a bit sparky. But she’s really learned to harness that energy now.

“She’s up against the best colts in the land, so she’s going to have to be at her best. But she helps herself out tactically with her versatility, and she typically leaves the gates well. Damian will have a lap full of horse entering the straight, and she’s got the turn of foot to take the gaps if they appear.

“I’d say she’s a very good top-three chance, in a typically outstanding Golden Rose field.”

For Mills, Charm Stone’s revealed ability has been vindication, and a welcome result compared with the other of his first three million-dollar plus filly buys. The $1.5 million Queen Of The Green (Written Tycoon) recently retired as a Geelong maiden winner owing to feet issues, while $1.95 million Humming (I Am Invincible) has a Moe maiden win from two starts but is on the way back from a throat operation.

“It does feel rewarding to see her do so well,” Mills said of Charm Stone, who’s heading towards the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington. “After her first win at Group 3 level, I joked it made her worth about half as much as we paid for her. But I think she’s worth a good bit more now.”

Mills said Charm Stone’s sale price indicated it was “obvious to everybody how good a type she was”.

“But the main thing I remember is that she acted like a colt. I wouldn’t say unruly, just assertive and sassy, and had the sort of energy you often see with a colt. I made the joke that she’d make a nice gelding,” he said.

“She was big and strong, not in the best ten walkers there, but she was a good walker for an I Am Invincible. I had to work out whether her temperament was going to be an advantage or a disadvantage. The more she paraded, the more I felt it’d be an advantage.”

Master trainer Ciaron Maher said he couldn’t split his stable’s pair King Colorado ($7) and Nadal (Xtravagant, $26), despite the market and their background.

King Colorado, bred and part-retained by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa, claimed Eagle Farm’s JJ Atkins Plate (Gr 1, 1600m) in June before resuming against older horses on August 19 in the weight-for-age Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), finishing ninth, beaten by two and a half lengths. He’s since won a 1040-metre Randwick barrier trial.

Nadal, a $250,000 Inglis Premier purchase, resumed with a Kensington maiden win at his third outing, before being thrown in the deep end in the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m). He bombed the start but flew home to be a long neck third to Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) and Michael Freedman’s Moravia (Snitzel), yet another with a chance today at $15.

“I gave Jason Collett the option since he’s ridden both, and he went for King Colorado,” Maher said. “But I don’t think there’s much between them.

“King Colorado’s last run was great – a three-year-old against older horses early in the season. He didn’t get the smoothest run and couldn’t get the momentum when he needed to. But he would’ve taken a lot from that. It would’ve toughened him up a bit, and he’s progressed well.

“Nadal has matured very well since his maiden win. Jason said he felt amazing under him last time. He’s an exciting horse, actually. He’s gone up a couple of levels. The ease of his maiden win gave me the confidence to have a crack at the Run To The Rose, and his run was full of merit.

“He’s drawn wide, as has King Colorado, but Zac Lloyd is riding with great confidence.”

Trainer Gary Portelli said he’d “never been happier with a horse going into a major race” than with Encap.

“His work before the Ming Dynasty was brilliant, and he’s done everything the same this week – same sectionals, same everything,” said Portelli, adding while the gelding was now rising “to meet the A-listers”, the $200,000 Easter buy – the cheapest sale yearling in the field – was an undeniable chance.

“We don’t know what his ceiling is yet. Has he reached his top? I don’t know. But the amount of improvement I’ve seen from one start to the next shows he is up to this level.”

Waller said the Everest-bound Shinzo faced “a big ask first-up” and may need luck from gate ten, but had impressed in a lengthy build-up beginning in June.

“He’s had two trials, an exhibition gallop, a jump-out at home with a couple of other decent horses, and every single piece of work has been what we’ve wanted,” he said on social media. “He’s all class. He’ll need to be.”

Fellow 104-rater Militarize, with barrier two for Joao Moreira, has blinkers added after his fast-finishing first-up fifth in the Run To The Rose.

“His first-up run was enormous over 1200 metres when he drew wide,” Waller said. “He’s got the plumb draw here he’ll be fighting out the finish.”