Althoff (AUS)
2 c Written Tycoon – Miss St Tropez by Magnus
O: Mrs Y Zhang
B: Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd
T: Chris Waller
S: 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Arrowfield Stud P: Yulong Investments, $500,000
W: Ken Russell Memorial Classic, Group 3, 1200m, May 11, Sunshine Coast
Yulong colt Althoff (Written Tycoon) could now be aimed towards the $1 million BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 1 after he produced a game performance to break his maiden in Saturday’s Ken Russell Memorial Classic (Gr 3, 1200m) at the Sunshine Coast.
The colt went into the race off the back of a second-placed debut over 1100 metres at Rosehill on April 27.
Positioned three-wide but with cover on a Heavy 10 by James McDonald in the leading division from barrier six of 17, Althoff was pushed to a narrow lead a long way from home at the 250 metres, and had to dig deep to overcome challenges to his inside to defeat Silva ’N’ Suave (D’Argento) by 0.2 lengths with Gin A Tonic (Better Than Ready) a 0.1 further back in third.
“He’s a lovely little colt. He’s very laid-back, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect from him,” said Waller’s Queensland stable foreman Brett Killion.
“They’ve put the blinkers on him and he put himself in the race and he travelled great. I don’t know if he just got lost a bit in front or just tired late, but he did enough.
“He was on the bit a long way and cruised up. He does everything you need him to do. He switches off and he’s got a lovely turn of foot.”
A $500,000 purchase for Yulong from Arrowfield Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Althoff is the sixth winner from as many to race from Miss St Tropez (Magnus), a half-sister to five-time stakes winner Don’t Doubt Mamma (Not A Single Doubt) and her Listed-winning brother Risen From Doubt.
Althoff also descends from Australian breeding royalty, with his fifth dam the four-time modern Group 1 winner Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar), and fourth dam the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Joie Denise (Danehill).
A half-sister to Althoff by Maurice (Screen Hero) was sold from Arrowfield’s draft to Ken Keys Racing for $80,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, while Miss St Tropez – not covered in 2022 – went to Arrowfield’s Admire Mars (Daiwa Major) last spring.