Corowa’s Front Page creates headlines at Flemington
Defeat in a Benchmark 58 handicap at Corowa hardly shapes as a pointer to Listed success at Flemington in the same preparation, yet that is exactly the path followed by Front Page (Magnus) on his way to victory in the A R Creswick Stakes (Listed, 1200m) yesterday.
Almost a half-century after Geoff Duryea ventured to Flemington to ride in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) as a fresh-faced apprentice – finishing 20th on the Bert Honeychurch-trained Red Hope (Petard) in the 1973 Cup behind Gala Supreme (Gala Crest) – the jockey-turned-trainer finally broke through for a first Flemington stakes victory with Front Page. It was his first black-type winner in his three-decade training career as well.
It was also a first stakes win for Lewis German at just his fourth attempt, with Duryea giving the apprentice the same opportunity that he was afforded by his master Honeychurch at Flemington all those years ago.
“These opportunities don’t come around very often for apprentices,” German told Racing.com. “I’ve had a little bit of success for Geoff and a few of his owners so I went up to Wangaratta to ride the horse a few weeks ago and he blitzed them there as well so I came here very positive today.
“They believed in me today, they put an apprentice on it’s very good to repay them.”
Front Page raced near the speed in the early stages, one of a brigade of horses charging towards the lead over the famous straight six.
Passing the 400 metres, German was swinging off the chestnut while his primary rivals on the front end were gasping for air. In the twinkling of an eye, the race was over as he quickened away from his rivals with a breathtaking turn of foot.
A scrimmage in behind put paid to the chances of market fancies King Of Hastings (Ilovethiscity) and Broadwayandfourth (Smart Missile), as well as causing severe interference to I Am Eloquent (I Am Invincible) among others, but by then Front Page was already off and gone, the prize firmly in his grasp by the time he reached the Flemington clock tower.
At the line, Front Page had two and three-quarter lengths to spare over his nearest pursuer, Hi Stranger (Zoffany), with Merited (Fastnet Rock) a short head away in third.
The win came only three months after Front Page was beaten as an odds-on favourite in a Benchmark 58 at Corowa in March. However, this was his third win in a row, having won a Benchmark 58 at Albury by almost ten lengths two starts back before leading all the way in a Wangaratta Benchmark 64 last time out.
“Obviously coming from the country to the city, we weren’t sure how he’d handle it,” Duryea’s son Paul said. “We thought if he races up to what he was showing us then we could run top three, so to win like that is a massive bonus. It was another A-grade ride from Lewis, we didn’t want to lead if possible but he just landed there, rated him well and he let down good.”
Front Page may be given the opportunity to better Corowa’s favourite son of recent times, Group 2 winner Leica Falcon (Nothin’ Leica Dane), by adding a Group 1 to his record.
The leap from a three-year-old Listed contest at Flemington in the winter to a Group 1 in the height of the spring or the autumn again seems a stretch, but the Creswick has been won the last two years by Nature Strip (Nicconi) and Gytrash (Lope De Vega). And not only did he win by a bigger margin than either of those two horses, but he also produced a significantly quicker time.
Also potentially on his radar is The Kosciuszko (1200m), the $1.3 million race for country-trained gallopers at Randwick in October.
“At this stage he’ll go to the paddock,” the younger Duryea said. “There may be some spring plans but we’ll just see how he pulls up and go from there.”
Front Page (3 g Magnus – Stacey Lee by Bel Esprit) is a brother to Duryea’s other stable star, the Group 3-placed News Girl – they are the only two foals to race out of five-time winner Stacey Lee (Bel Esprit). Both were also bred by Duryea.
“She just jumps, runs, wins, whereas he doesn’t care about anything,” Paul Duryea said. “You could drop a bomb under him and he wouldn’t move and he just does whatever you want.
“We knew he had ability but he’s a long way behind her mentally, so we just wanted those couple of extra runs this time in the country just to let him switch on a bit before we came down.”
Second dam Curio Jade (Varick) was Group 1-placed, while the family traces back to American matriarch Plucky Roman (Roman).
Front Page gave Sun Stud’s ever-reliable Magnus (Flying Spur) his 22nd individual stakes winner. He will stand for $15,400 (inc GST) in 2020.
The Actuary a first black-type winner for Black Soil
A breakthrough winter for Queensland operation Black Soil Bloodstock has culminated in The Actuary’s (Sebring) victory in yesterday’s The Phoenix (Listed, 1615m) at Doomben.
Black Soil Bloodstock principal Brian Siemsen has had success before under the BoomTime Racing banner with Group 1 winners Temple Of Boom (Piccolo) and Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo).
Under its new name, Black Soil Bloodstock – which was launched this season – has already had success with speedy filly Isotope (Deep Field) and stakes-placed Niedorp (Not A Single Doubt), but The Actuary gave the collective its first stakes winner.
“I think he (Siemsen) spent about $1.5 million at the sales last year so he deserves every success,” said Black Soil Bloodstock’s trainer Tony Gollan, also a childhood friend of Siemsen. “I joke he was born under a rainbow but we have had a good run with other horses such as Niedorp lately.”
Sitting midfield under Brisbane’s premiership-leading jockey, apprentice Baylee Nothdurft, The Actuary tracked up strongly upon straightening. Nothdurft brought the filly between horses and she sprinted sharply, hitting the lead at the 150 metres and looking as though she would race clear.
However, she seemed lost when she hit the front and it took a vigorous ride by the 21-year-old for her to maintain her margin over her rivals. At the line, she was a length and a quarter clear of Toscanini (Fastnet Rock) with a long neck back to Outburst (Real Impact) in third.
“I think she will be better with time, but she finished too well for them today,” Nothdurft said.
The Phoenix was won last year by subsequent two-time Group 1 winner Shadow Hero (Pierro), but Gollan is not convinced that The Actuary will be able to match his feats and may keep her in Brisbane for the summer rather than looking south during the spring.
“I know The Phoenix has produced a lot of future black-type winners in the spring but I am not sure this year’s race will prove that strong,” he said.
The Actuary became the third of the eight runners from December’s Calaway Gal Stakes (Listed, 1110m) to have won a stakes race subsequently. She joins Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Away Game (Snitzel), who also added the Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) and the Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and was runner-up in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), and last weekend’s Dalrello Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner Smart ‘n’ Sexy (Smart Missile).
When she returned in May, she was fitted with blinkers and was just fair in two maidens over 1110 metres and 1200 metres. However, with the headgear removed, she has now won her last two starts comfortably.
“I always felt The Actuary could win a stakes race. I think I made a mistake racing her in blinkers and she has improved lengths since we took them off,” Gollan said. “She would have an even better record if I had removed them earlier and it was the smartest thing I have done for a while.”
The Actuary (2 f Sebring – Fast Talker by Fastnet Rock) is the fourth foal out of the stakes-placed mare Fast Talker (Fastnet Rock), who has now produced two Listed winners. The Actuary joins Persuader (Zoustar), winner of the Twilight Glow Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in 2018.
Second dam Crystal Wit (Distorted Humor) was also a Listed winner and is a half-sister to 2010 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Crystal Lily (Stratum).
The Actuary is the product of another Golden Slipper winner in Sebring (More Than Ready). She gave the Widden Stud stalwart, who died last February, his 60th individual stakes winner.