‘Bigger things’ lie in wait for Wanaruah
Spring stakes assignments could now lie in wait for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Wanaruah (Snitzel) after he extended his unbeaten record to two in a 1400-metre handicap at Randwick.
Having made an eye-catching winning debut at Canterbury over 1250 metres last month, the Snitzel colt was sent off a $3 joint-favourite on Saturday, heading the betting with fellow debut winner Bartolf (So You Think) having drifted out from a shorter price just before the race.
However, despite the market weakness, it was the Tulloch Lodge representative who took centre stage, making all under Winona Costin, before kicking clear rounding the home bend to score comfortably by two lengths over Good Sort (Tassort).
Waterville (Menari) finished a further 1.6 lengths behind in third place, while Bartolf could only manage sixth, beaten five and a half lengths by the winner.
“He’s a fabulous colt and I think we saw that on debut,” Bott said.
“I thought there was good improvement and plenty more in store and I just wanted to give him that extra run this campaign, over a bit further, and test him.
“We are hoping to get a bit of seasoning in him and lift his rating for hopefully bigger things in the spring.”
Bred by Rae-Louise and Padraig Kelly’s Fernrigg Farm, Wanaruah was retained by his breeders when he failed to make his $300,000 reserve at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. The colt is now raced by a partnership made up of Fernrigg, Oneplusnine Racing and Matha Bloodstock.
Bott was impressed with the colt’s performance on Saturday and, although no future target is yet to be decided, feels he has a class edge at this time of the year.
“We’ll have to go back and analyse this but timing-wise as well, it would be a relatively quick turn-around for the spring,” Bott added.
“But he always looked like the type of horse that would continue to furnish. He’s better than just winter form.”
Out of the Star Witness (Starcraft) mare Mella Maria, who was a Grade 2 winner in South Africa, Wanaruah is a half-brother to fellow winners Miss Passion (Redoute’s Choice) and Dunloe (Fastnet Rock).
Mella Maria was purchased for $340,000 by Fernrigg out of Mill Park Stud at the 2019 National Broodmare Sale.
The mare now has a weanling colt by Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) and was covered by Acrobat (Fastnet Rock) last spring.