Encouraging signs for Vella’s Capitalist gelding
While a Deep Field colt broke new ground, two-year-olds by freshman sires catch the eye at Warwick Farm
A Deep Field (Northern Meteor) colt yesterday recorded the fastest breeze-up time in Inglis Ready2Race history, but it was the performances of juveniles by first season sires Capitalist (Written Tycoon) and Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) – prepared by young talents Matt Vella and Blake Ryan – that created plenty of buzz at the Warwick Farm session.
Lot 35, the Vella-prepared gelding by Newgate Farm’s Capitalist out of the stakes-winning mare Lady Sniper (Snippetson), recorded a slick 10.17 seconds for his 200-metre breeze-up, second only to Ryan’s Deep Field – Sugar Bay (Syncline) colt, Lot 135, who smashed the ten-second mark, stopping the clock in 9.95 seconds.
Ryan also prepared the session’s third fastest lot, a Shalaa colt out of Zarakiysha (Kendor), a half-sister to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Zarkava (Zamindar). He ran the furlong in 10.18 seconds.
Ahead of the official two-year-old trials on the Kensington track on Monday, the two juveniles by freshman sires and their breezes were particularly noteworthy, with Capitalist (five) and Shalaa (three) both set to be well-represented at the trial session.
Arrowfield Stud shuttler Shalaa has had 11 winners to date from his first crop in Europe, as well as Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) third Saeiqa. He sits second by earnings on France’s first season sire list.
However, Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Capitalist is yet to have his first runners, having commenced stud duties at Newgate Farm in 2017.
Trainer, pre-trainer and breaker Vella, who is preparing his first Ready2Race draft, has been impressed with the Capitalist stock he has broken in so far and has two among his draft of eight horses under the Glenn Haven Thoroughbreds banner, so named for New Zealand businessman and philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn.
However, Vella admits that the Lady Sniper gelding in particular has continued to exceed his expectations through every step of his preparation.
“I’ve worked with a lot of the Capitalists this year and I think that he’s a very exciting stallion,” Vella told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday. “I’ve broken in some very good horses and on average the Capitalists are definitely the best this year. A lot of them, I’ve got a great feel from them and I’ve thought that these could make it early.
“I’ve broken in Golden Slipper winners and runners and these Capitalists were in the category that made me think that they could be pre-Christmas horses and quite handy two-year-olds.”
It was Newgate Farm principal Henry Field who encouraged Vella to prepare a Ready2Race draft, with the flashy Lady Sniper gelding owned by Field in partnership with Bill and James Mitchell.
The Mitchells paid $170,000 for the then-colt at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in February.
“We selected this horse specifically for the breeze-up sales and he looked fast from day one,’’ Bill Mitchell said. “His attitude and the way he goes about his work is outstanding. We had a feeling he would breeze in a fast time today, Matt has been telling us for a while he was very good so it was great to see him put that into action.’’
Vella continued: “Henry is a good friend of mine, he and the Mitchells approached me and I thought I’d do a little draft this year. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve ridden in them before for Tim Martin but I haven’t actually prepared any myself. I’m pretty busy with the breaking in and the pre-training and now the training as well, but I think it will pay off – it’s been a great day breezing up and I was really happy with them.
“The Lady Sniper is owned by Henry and the Mitchells. I was very excited to get him when they approached me. I looked at all the breeding and I know she was a very fast mare, Lady Sniper.”
Trained by Bjorn Baker, Lady Sniper won the Inglis Sprint (1100m), toppling subsequent William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Hellbent (I Am Invincible), while she swept home from near last to take the Gosford Guineas (Listed, 1200m), defeating a field that included two-time The Everest (1200m) hero Redzel (Snitzel).
While the gelding has plenty to achieve if he is to match his dam’s feats, Vella’s confidence is sky high, with the 28-year-old believing the bay would have been hard to beat in the Breeders’ Plate (Listed, 1000m) at Randwick on October 3 if he’d been kept by Field and the Mitchells.
“He’s a rocket, a jet, he’s very fast but he’s also very strong,” Vella said. “I wasn’t expecting a lot of them to breeze up as fast as they did, but I knew he would – he’s got a very big engine, he’s very quick. You will see when the videos come out that I didn’t really ask him to do it, he just did it himself. There was a bit left in the tank.
“He’s a nice, big, strong type so he’s got plenty of scope. Really, you’re buying a horse – you’re not just buying a fast breeze-up but you’re buying a horse that will go on with it. He’s going to suit any trainer in Sydney that wants a pre-Christmas two-year-old.
“I said to Henry when I got on this boy – last year, my pick of the year of the horses I broke in was Dame Giselle and she’s come out and she’s been very good. I told Henry that this bloke’s one of my picks. He’s natural, he’s strong but he’s also got scope to improve.
“Actually, I also said to him a good four weeks ago that this horse here goes very well; you could probably keep him, give him to a trainer and win a trial and win the Breeders’ Plate with him. But the horses were bought specifically for this sale and they stuck to their word.
“I think it’s good that the Inglis Ready2Race Sale can produce quality like this, to give buyers horses that can go on and be genuine Group contenders.”
In addition to the two Capitalists, Vella’s eight-horse draft features another first season sire representative in the shape of a colt by Flying Artie (Artie Schiller). Vella will also send through two colts by the late Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) and one each by All Too Hard (Casino Prince), More Than Ready (Southern Halo) and Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice).
“They are eight horses that I would have been proud to have had my entity own and train to move on, or even my entity own to give to guys like Chris Waller and Peter Snowden to train,” he said. “These horses are not far off Easter grade. The Lady Sniper, for example, is definitely an Easter-grade horse.
“To be honest, they are probably too good for this sale; they are horses that I would have liked to have had up and ready for the early trials on Monday, going towards races like the Breeders’ Plate and the Golden Gift.
“I’ve probably got two of them there that are out-and-out sprinting types. The others are seven- to eight-furlong types, so it was very good to see them show the dash they did today. I’ve trained these horses up like they are my own horses, so I haven’t thrashed them up a furlong, they have worked along as if they are going to be racehorses in the future.
“That’s what I wanted for the horses in the sale this year. I wanted them to improve and be horses after the sale, not just be furlong breeze-up horses who are not going to be able to run 1000 metres-plus.
“This prep, which started on the first of August, is the first time they’ve galloped, the first time they’ve done anything really. I wanted them to have leeway to improve and what they are running today, they are doing on raw ability.
“I have them educated, but they are not being tested out of their comfort zone. I didn’t chase any of them along in their breeze-ups, I asked them but I didn’t go whacking them with the stick, I didn’t get low and start digging them right out.”
When the eight horses go through the sales ring on October 20, it will be the culmination of a process that began in June. For Vella, though, it is another step towards him reaching the high targets that he has set for himself, with sheer hard work and dedication earning the horseman a reputation for excellence.
“I’m one of these blokes, I’m adamant that I want to be the best so I’m going to work at doing that,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I can to succeed.
“I’ve got a very good team behind me, I’ve got a very good facility courtesy of Sir Owen Glenn, I’ve got Steve O’Connor, Sir Owen’s racing manager, who helps me out a lot behind the scenes as well.
“I’m one of these blokes who wants to be big and wants to make it. I’m getting that way, so it’s great, but I’ll work night and day to make a big impact in this industry.”
The breeze-ups, which began at Seymour and Eagle Farm earlier this week, will continue at Taupo in New Zealand on Tuesday, with videos to be uploaded to the Inglis website by Wednesday.
Glenn Haven Thoroughbreds Ready2Race draft
Lot 38: Hinchinbrook – Little Bit Ditsy (10.30 seconds)
He is very good, he’s an improving type and he’s a six-furlong horse. He ran 10.30 seconds and I was rapt with that.
Lot 39: More Than Ready – Loved Up (10.47 seconds)
He’s one I’m preparing for Sir Owen Glenn and he was very good as well. He’s got a lot of improvement too, being out of a mare that throws horses that would generally get out over a bit of a trip. I loved his breeze-up.
Lot 203: Not A Single Doubt – Coco Miss (10.46 seconds)
He’s a little immature horse, he needs six months so I was really over the moon that he ran that time.
Lot 213: Hinchinbrook – Dilemmas (10.83 seconds)
I said to Henry that this horse was going to be better later on. He breezed up in 10.83 and that was good for where he is at. He’s a lovely horse going forward.
Lot 226: Flying Artie – Excellent Lady (10.50 seconds)
He is a half-brother to Petits Filous (Street Boss), he was very good today. He’s a seven-furlong horse going forward as a three-year-old. He’s a magnificent-looking horse, he’s an absolute belter. He was one who I said to Henry, he’s a beautiful animal, he’s probably not going to breeze up as quickly as the Lady Sniper but he’s a nice horse going forward and for him to run 10.5, I was rapt. He’s nowhere near ready.