Coolmore’s colts partnership holds strong hand in ‘premium three-year-old race’
Syndicate’s first-year buys Home Affairs, Ranch Hand the pick of trio vying for glory in Flemington Group 1
Coolmore certainly wasn’t the first to embark on a colts partnership but, as is evident with everything the Magnier family does, when they decide to do something, they do it properly and in a big way.
The result of the Australian operation’s decision, made in late 2019, to target the yearling sales in a bid to buy and race colts in the hope they could succeed on the racetrack and eventually join their dual-hemisphere stallion roster is demonstrated by tomorrow’s field in the race they sponsor, the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Coolmore Australia’s colts partnership has three runners in the three-year-old Group 1 race – Home Affairs (I Am Invincible), Ranch Hand (Fastnet Rock) and Minsk Moment (I Am Invincible) – and all are prepared by champion trainer Chris Waller, himself a member of the powerful coalition.
Rob Archibald, Coolmore Australia’s racing manager, was delighted that a plan two years in the making was on the verge of possible Group 1 success at Flemington tomorrow.
“It all revolved around trying to develop stallions who will one day stand at Coolmore. Obviously, we have been a significant buyer (of stallions off the track), but they (John, MV and Tom Magnier) made a strong determination that there was an opportunity there to put a group together and try and develop them from yearlings into stallions,” Archibald said yesterday.
“We like to have the best horses and we thought, in such a strong market, that we wanted to have more of a significant interest (by racing colts).
“Every single one was broken-in through the Coolmore system, so it’s been a huge team effort all round.”
Eleven of the 16 colts in the field – Gimmie Par (Not A Single Doubt) is the sole filly in the race – are already owned by stud interests, with Coolmore’s trio joined by Godolphin’s homebreds Ingratiating (Frosted), Kallos (Lonhro) and Paulele (Dawn Approach), while the China Horse Club-Newgate Farm syndicate possess race favourite In The Congo (Snitzel) and Artorius (Flying Artie).
Rosemont Stud took on a controlling interest in second favourite Extreme Warrior (Extreme Choice) earlier this week, Cambridge Stud has the standing rights for Sword Of State (Snitzel) and Aquis and Widden Stud share in the ownership of Bruckner (Snitzel).
Bookmakers suggest Home Affairs ($11), a Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) winner at two who returned in the spring to win the Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m), is the best of Coolmore’s chances of winning the race.
The Torryburn Stud-bred Home Affairs, who was purchased for $875,000 at last year’s Inglis Easter sale, raced below the syndicate’s lofty expectations in The Everest (1200m) on October 16, but Archibald believes the valuable colt can bounce back.
“We were hoping Eduardo would come across us and we’d have something to follow, but we had no cover and eye-balling Nature Strip as a three-year-old in The Everest at your fifth start, it was a pretty big ask,” Archibald said.
“He is a very talented horse and very fast. If he can just relax in the first part of the race, then he’s certainly got the ability to be finishing late and going close in a race like that.
“He worked down the (Flemington) straight on Tuesday morning and James McDonald thought he felt great, so that’s positive.”
Ranch Hand, a pre-Christmas two-year-old winner, and who, like Home Affairs, was a winner first-up as a three-year-old in stakes company, as he surged late to land the Poseidon Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington in September.
Last start, the Turangga Farm-bred and sold Ranch Hand, a $260,000 buy for Coolmore, was caught on the rail side of the Flemington straight when seventh in the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) in a race in which the grandstand side runners filled the quinella.
“Ranch Hand has already had two runs down the straight and he had a jump-out last Friday and jockey Brett Prebble is very happy with the way he’s going,” Archibald reported.
“A strong 1200 (metres) is going to suit a horse like him; he’s very fit. In a Group 1 of this calibre, you’re going to need a bit of luck.
“He was probably just a little bit flat second up after he was so good first-up, but Chris has given him a chance to freshen up again, he’s spaced his runs. The Fastnet Rocks, on the big days, tend to come good and we are pretty happy with him.”
Minsk Moment, the least experienced of the Coolmore trio, won his first two starts either side of a spell before a seven-length third to Extreme Warrior in the Blue Sapphire Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield on October 13, enough for Waller and the colt’s owners to “roll the dice”.
“He’s a horse who will be better in the autumn, he’s doing it all on raw ability,” said Archibald.
“He’s talented but probably the least likely of our three, as the market suggests, but he will love a straight 1200.”
Whether a Group 1 win evades them tomorrow or not, Coolmore’s relatively new venture appears here to stay.
They and their backers spent up again at the sales earlier this year with a crop of now-turned two-year-olds and the Coolmore team will no doubt be pounding the pavement at Magic Millions, Karaka and Inglis again next year in search of their next star colt.
“The Coolmore is the premium three-year-old race of the year and we are grateful to Chris and his team and the partners in the syndicate and we are very proud to have three runners in the race,” Archibald said.
“The ultimate goal of the syndicate is to buy them, develop them and one day, hopefully, they are back at Coolmore standing at stud.
“We think we are a long way towards achieving that.”