Ceolwulf (NZ)
3 c Tavistock – Las Brisas by Shamardal
O: Ungar Family, Mr W M Shelton, Mrs S E Shelton, Mr P A Young, Mr A J Rix, Mr B D Playford, Mr D Perkins, Mr L J Howl, Team T S A No. 2, Mr N J Pinner
B: B J Lindsay Mnzm & Mrs J E A Lindsay
T: Joe Pride
S: 2022 NZB Ready To Run Sale V: Riversley Park P: Joe Pride, NZ$170,000
W: James Squire Handicap, 1400m, August 30, Warwick Farm
Joe Pride is confident he has a future stakes winner on his hands in the shape of Ceolwulf (Tavistock), who showed his potential talent when shedding his maiden status at the second time of asking in a 1400-metre contest at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The son of late Cambridge Stud sire Tavistock (Montjeu) was slipped into fourth place by jockey Sam Clipperton, tracking behind a good tempo set up front. Making his move on the home turn, the colt responded well to pressure, eventually defeating Mojave Desert (I Am Invincible) by a half-length, with Dimitrov (I Am Invincible) another head away in third.
The colt will not have to wait long for his first tilt in stakes company, with Pride revealing he intends to run the three-year-old in the Ming Dynasty Quality (Gr 3, 1400m) at Rosehill on September 9.
“He’s got a long way to go in terms of his development and what he’s got to learn, but he’s certainly kicked off his career well,” the trainer said. “It’s not very often you see horses by this stallion Tavistock show up either at this age or over a short trip.
“He’s really exciting, I really like him. He was a [NZ$170,000] Ready To Run horse from Karaka and he breezed up quite well. I was happy to take the punt on him and he has always shown a fair bit, which has encouraged us to keep pushing on at this early stage.”
Ceolwulf is out of the unraced Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare Las Brisas, who was purchased by Cambridge Stud for 50,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2018.
Las Brisas is out of winning mare Bright Halo (Bigstone), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Cerulean Sky (Darshaan), the dam of Group 2-winning stayer Honolulu (Montjeu).
Las Brisas also counts Moonstone (Dalakhani), winner of the 2008 edition of the Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f), among her half-siblings. Moonstone herself is the dam of dual Group 3 winner Nelson (Frankel), Group 3 scorer US Army Ranger (Galileo) and stakes scorer Words (Dansili).
In 2022, Las Brisas produced a filly by Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) and was served by Windsor Park shuttler Circus Maximus (Galileo) last season.