Angel Capital flies into Guineas contention at Caulfield
Coolmore Stud stakes also under consideration for McDonald’s talented son of Harry Angel
Angel Capital (Harry Angel) announced himself as a serious contender for the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in three weeks’ time when he produced a breathtaking display to win the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr 3, 1400m) on Saturday.
After the colt made a winning debut Cranbourne in April, Clinton McDonald predicted he would prove a possible star of the future, but after two lacklustre performances in Group 2 company on unsuitable wet tracks in Queensland, there were question marks surrounding the trainer’s prophecy.
On his seasonal reappearance earlier in the month, Capital Angel went some way to restoring his reputation when he claimed victory in the McKenzie Stakes (Listed, 1200m) and after Saturday’s triumph he is now classed as one of the most exciting colts in training.
Stuck in traffic for most of the race on Saturday, Angel Capital looked a horror-story in the making, before Ben Melham found a gap and his mount exploded through, even in the inferior inside going, and somehow ran down the leaders, beating Public Attention (Written Tycoon) by 0.5 lengths, while Wanaruah (Snitzel) finished a further 0.2 lengths away in third.
“That was a great win. He had to get back to the worst ground and lost momentum, and the horses down the outside had the momentum,” McDonald told Racing.com.
“We think he’s a proper colt; he’s showing us that now, and I’m just spewing a half of a bet with the track being a bit shifty.
“I’m rapt for the owners, Gregory Ho and his family and Upper Bloodstock. They do an amazing job, and I’m thankful they gave me this lovely colt to train.”
McDonald said Angel Capital would now head straight to Guineas on October 12, but he would also not rule out a potential tilt at the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington on November 2, a double which was achieved in 2007 by Weekend Hussler (Hussonet), who was trained McDonald’s father Ross.
“We know how to win both the Caulfield Guineas and Coolmore Stud Stakes,” McDonald said. “We did it with [Weekend] Hussler, so we might do it with this colt. He does things at home that only the real good ones do, and we’re pretty happy with him.”
Bred by David Peacock, Angel Capital (3 c Harry Angel – Bahamas by Teofilo) is one of three stakes winner from five foals to race for dam Bahamas (Teofilo), who only won a maiden herself but was three times stakes placed, including a third in Morphettville’s Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m).
The mare’s first foal was Senor Toba (Toronado) – a winner of one Australian Group 3 and two more in Hong Kong, and who’s been placed twice at Group 1 level – and her third foal, the Group 2 and Listed-winning Berkeley Square (Territories).
Bahamas’s colt by Blue Point (Shamardal) fetched $300,000 when sold at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale this year from Mill Park Stud’s draft to Lucky Owners Pty Ltd. Her filly foal by Pinatubo (Shamardal) died at birth last year and she is due to drop another Blue Point foal this spring.
Angel Capital is one five individual Australian stakes winners for Harry Angel whose total haul of individual black-type scorers sits at 15. The Darley shuttle stallion is covering his fifth southern hemisphere book of mares at Kelvinside for an increased fee of $38,500 (inc GST), having stood the 2023 season for $33,000 (inc GST).