Coolmore’s Everest focus switches to elite three-year-old colts
International sprinter Lope Y Fernandez ruled out of this year’s $15 million slot race
This season’s three-year-old colts, considered by some observers to be the strongest generation for a quarter of a century, loom large on Coolmore’s radar as the breeding and racing powerhouse continues to weigh up its options for this year’s The Everest (1200m).
A year after hitting the jackpot with colt Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), who this year spearheads Coolmore’s line-up of first season sires, the focus has switched to locally-trained contenders after the global organisation ruled out bringing an international sprinter to Australia for this year’s $15 million race.
Last year, Coolmore part-owned the winner of the Everest in Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), who filled the slot held by Chris Waller Racing, with the operation having already exercised its option on Aidan O’Brien’s July Cup (Gr 1, 6f) scorer Ten Sovereigns (No Nay Never).
U S Navy Flag (Scat Daddy), Coolmore’s 2018 Everest runner, was also an international sprinter-miler prepared by Ballydoyle’s O’Brien but yesterday Rob Archibald, the racing manager for the Australian arm of the business, confirmed that the organisation’s hierarchy had determined it was best to explore local talent.
“First things first, we will not be bringing out a horse from the northern hemisphere, so that rules that out, and obviously, we’re keeping an eye on all those three-year-old colts who could potentially be stallion prospects and that may double up as being suitable for The Everest,” Archibald told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“Outside of that we are also looking at any horse by one of our stallions to fill the slot which we obviously would love to promote with the likes of Fasika and Pelzter (in the mix).
“The next three or four weeks will help put pieces in the puzzle for us and we’re hoping that one of those horses by our stallions jumps out and makes it obvious.”
Tomorrow’s Rosehill race meeting could be pivotal to connections of Sydney-trained sprinters Fasika and Peltzer, both by Coolmore’s sire So You Think (High Chaparral), with their performances likely to be pivotal to their respective chances of gaining a start in The Everest.
The Joe Pride-trained Fasika, the winner of the Wenona Girl Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m) at Randwick in March, will put her credentials on the line in the Sheraco Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) while three-year-old Peltzer takes on a high-class field in The Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m).
Trained by Sterling Alexiou and senior partner Gerald Ryan, who recently made comparisons between this season’s crop of three-year-olds and that of 1994-95 which produced the likes of Hurricane Sky (Star Watch), Danzero (Danehill), Brave Warrior (Cossack Warrior) and others, Pelzter was runner-up to speed machine Anders (Not A Single Doubt) first-up in the San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m).
The Run To The Rose also features the return of reigning Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) champion Farnan (Not A Single Doubt), Queensland speedster Rothfire (Rothesay) and rising stars North Pacific (Brazen Beau), Mamaragan (Wandjina) and Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon).
“They’re a really high-quality group of three-year-olds and, while the Run To The Rose won’t tell the complete picture, it will certainly go a long way in starting to sort out the top of that group,” he said.
“Like everybody and a lot of the other studs, we’ll be watching closely and see how it develops.”
Coolmore also part-owns dual Group 1 winner King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice), secured in a high-priced deal with James Harron Bloodstock during the autumn, who is also due to start his spring campaign in the Run To The Rose.
“He’s on a Caulfield Guineas path, but that decision will be made after his first two runs, being the Run To The Rose and the Golden Rose,” Archibald continued.
“He’s very well in himself and Peter and Paul Snowden have given us some good reports and they’re very pleased with the horse.
“His attitude’s great and all the signs are there for a big three-year-old campaign.”
The fact Yes Yes Yes finished runner-up in both the Run To The Rose and the Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) before charging to a course-record victory in The Everest, has underpinned Coolmore’s belief to play a patient waiting game before locking in its chosen runner.
Archibald said: “It’s still relatively early in the season and a lot can happen. Yes Yes Yes wasn’t locked into the race ten days before, so these horses have an uncanny way of somehow putting themselves in the picture and that’s what we’re really relying on.”
On deciding against an international runner, Archbald revealed Lope Y Fernandez (Lope De Vega) was being considered for a possible trip Down Under but a below par performance in the Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Haydock on Saturday put an end to those plans.
“We were obviously thinking of Lope Y Fernandez to come down but his last-start run at Haydock was a little bit disappointing and that really made everybody’s mind up that he probably wasn’t the horse for this year,” he said.
“We wanted to wait to give him the opportunity to prove himself over six furlongs and he just didn’t quite put himself in the picture.”