Captivant aiming to offer Group 1 boost with Champagne win
Colt can become third Newgate-sired elite-level juvenile winner this season while providing timely pedigree upgrade to Chairman’s-bound half-sister
Wins at Group 1 level always offer valuable upshots for a wide spectrum of stakeholders associated with a horse beholding such desired success, and the potential significance for Captivant (Capitalist) scoring at the elite level in today’s juvenile Randwick feature would provide a Champagne moment far beyond a maiden Group 1 triumph.
Firstly there’s the horse himself and the extraordinary opportunity to add his name to the list of Newgate Farm juvenile Group 1 winners sired by their first season stallions this term, should he claim the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Following in the path of the success laid by Artorius (Flying Artie) in February’s Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) after an outstanding performance in this year’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m), victory for Captivant today would no doubt see the colt Newgate co-purchased as a yearling join their standout performers on the stud roster when the curtain falls on his career.
Then there’s his sire, Capitalist (Written Tycoon), currently the leading sire by winners with eight among this year’s remarkable first season sire crop. Yet, despite three stakes winners, he trails barnmate Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) in the standings by prize-money, but a fourth stakes winner through Captivant would elevate his marvel stallion into an outright lead in that contest, collecting the $287,000 winners’ cheque, which would also see Capitalist lead the general two-year-old sire standings.
And finally, those at Inglis and connections behind his half-sister, Anna Cecelia (More Than Ready), will be keeping a close eye, with the mare set to go through the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft at the May 7 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
So, over to the colt’s trainers, father-and-son team Peter and Paul Snowden, who are all too familiar with the pressures that come with big-race success, and thrive on it; delivering several elite-level victories for the Newgate Farm and China Horse Club syndicate, of which Captivant sports the yellow and red silks of the latter, including The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Russian Revolution (Snitzel), while the training team will aim for back-to-back victories in the race won by the Coolmore Stud-bound King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) a year ago.
“Absolutely, every horse that’s racing is after the same, especially colts,” said Peter Snowden to ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday when asked the importance of Group 1 juvenile success for stallion prospects.
“It’ll be a good race, it’s a big field, and a solidly-run race I would think and hopefully we’ll be there somewhere,” he added.
Snowden also oversaw the Golden Slipper-winning career of sire-phenomenon Capitalist, with Captivant set to be the first of his offspring to step up to a mile today after his fast-finishing third in the ATC Sires’ Produce (Gr 1, 1400m) a fortnight ago, which came after a credible fifth in the Golden Slipper at Rosehill.
“You don’t know [if a horse will stay 1600 metres] until you try them and there’s a lot of two-year-olds that haven’t been at that trip yet,” he said.
“There are a couple backing up from the mile race last Saturday, but this is new territory for all of them.
“It appears like he’s going to get over that ground, and he’s had a good prep to run it, so let’s hope it works out that way.”
The Jo and Greg Griffin-owned Lime Country Thoroughbreds will certainly be hoping he can see out the test of the Randwick mile, with a timely pedigree boost the implication of victory for his Inglis Chairman’s Sale-consigned half-sister Anna Cecelia, who is offered in foal to Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park (Thorn Park).
“It really would [be a valuable upgrade], and she’s obviously a sitting duck for any shareholders in Capitalist, Written Tycoon, Ole Kirk, those sort of breeders that have a nom like that up their sleeves, she’d be a lovely young mare for them,” said Jo Griffin to ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“The mare looks like a much sharper horse herself. She’s quite compact and very strong and obviously Ocean Park is doing a great job stats wise in Australia for the number of runners he’s had here, in terms of stakes winners to runners, so it’s a nice commercial mating and good to get a young mare like that off to a proven stallion.”
Anna Cecelia is out of Speedboat (Commands), a three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner First Command (Commands), while this is also the family of recent Vobis Sires Guineas (1600m) winner Ripper Rita (Street Boss) and Vinery stallion Headwater (Exceed And Excel).
“The mare (Speedboat) leaves a very good type. Anna Cecelia was sold for $260,000 and Captivant was an expensive yearling too,” said Griffin.
“The family leaves good types as well.”
It’s an assessment Snowden reaffirms in his thoughts on Captivant, who he believes has derived plenty of traits from his dam.
“This fellow, he doesn’t look like a Capitalist,” said Snowden. “He’s a very big horse, probably 16.3, and Capitalist wasn’t that big.
“He’s thrown more the dam side than the Capitalist side, but he’s got tenacity and he’s got ability.”
The Peter and Paul Snowden team have been in electrifying form over the autumn carnival, last weekend delivering the Newgate and China Horse Club-owned Wild Ruler (Snitzel) to victory in the Arrowfield Sprint (Gr 2, 1200m), and have a chance to add a Group 1 to their season tally with Irish import I Am Superman (Footstepsinthesand) in today’s All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
The five-year-old entire has won three of his last six starts, including last time out in the Ajax Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) on March 13.
“He’s going well. He’s an Irish-bred and owned horse and they’re good guys in the horse. He’s a nice horse going forward and he keeps getting better each preparation we’ve had him,” said Snowden.
“The only stickler with him is that he needs good ground, and he gets that on Saturday, which is good, but weight for age probably isn’t ideal for him, a handicap would be better, but we missed the Doncaster because of a really wet track. But he’s in good order and it won’t surprise to see him run well.”