Harron lands Libertini for Everest slot
Field floats Roman Consul runner Wild Ruler as another potential big-race player
Wild Ruler (Snitzel) could make a left-field bid for the last remaining place in next week’s $15 million Everest (1200m) after it was confirmed last night that the James Harron Bloodstock syndicate had won the battle for brilliant Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Libertini (I Am Invincible).
Libertini’s breeder and part-owner, Magic Millions supremo Gerry Harvey, elected to align himself with the Harron partnership after considering competitive offers from the respected agent and his backers as well as one put forward by Chris Waller Racing, the last of the 12 slot holders yet to sign up a horse for the rich Randwick race on Saturday week.
The Anthony Cummings-trained four-year-old’s stunning Premiere Stakes victory saw bookmakers react dramatically by promoting her onto the fourth line of betting for The Everest at $7 behind new favourite Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) ($4.50), Inglis representative Gytrash (Lope De Vega) ($5) and the spring’s headache horse Nature Strip (Nicconi) ($6).
Luke McDonald, Harvey’s racing and bloodstock manager, has been leading the drawn-out talks on behalf of his boss and Libertini’s co-owner John Singleton and he was relieved last night to have a slot locked away for last year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) placegetter.
“There’s a lot of pressure off, so now we can enjoy the journey. Gerry left negotiations up to me but obviously he had the final say and basically cemented the deal. It was a great experience, but it’s a lot of pressure,” McDonald told ANZ Bloodstock News last night.
“She’s a legitimate chance in the race. She’s going to be second-up and her record second-up is two from three, so we’re just praying for a dry track and that she gets there in one piece and hopefully she draws a barrier.
“She will improve off the Premiere run. Her coat is finally starting to turn and come out and she looks in tip-top order and if she can improve five or ten per cent she is going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Regan Bayliss, who recently moved to Sydney, will retain the ride in The Everest.
Roman Consul could play role in final Everest slot
The finalisation of the deal between Harron and Harvey leaves the Chris Waller Racing syndicate considering its options, but the group also played a patient – and successful – waiting game last year when deciding to run three-year-old Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) before going on to win it in record time and significantly increase his stud value.
This year’s scenario could lead to Waller again zeroing in on a three-year-old out of this Saturday’s Roman Consul Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), with the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m) winner Wild Ruler (Snitzel) or last-start Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) scorer Doubtland (Not A Single Doubt) from the Hawkes Racing stable potential targets.
The pair are among six nominations for the Roman Consul, in which reigning champion Australian two-year-old of the year Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) is also expected to line-up in following his defeat as favourite in the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m) more than three weeks ago.
Aquis Farm has already committed to The Everest with Farnan, who was bought by Kia Ora Stud as a stallion prospect in August, despite his first up defeat.
Farnan had an exhibition gallop with stablemate Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach) on the Kensington track last week to convince co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott that the colt was over a minor setback.
Newgate Farm managing director Henry Field yesterday threw Wild Ruler’s name up as a legitimate contender to secure the Everest slot held by Waller, reasoning that the colt had shown similar traits to those shown by dual Group 1 winner Russian Revolution who was also raced by the China Horse Club colts partnership.
Field took a line through Wild Ruler’s eye-catching second to Libertini in a Kensington barrier trial on September 21 to further underline his colt’s credentials.
“I know trials are trials, but he trialled sensationally well, on par with Libertini, and then he came out and won a Heritage. If he won the Roman Consul, we’d definitely keep the options open about running in The Everest,” Field said.
“The thing about him is, he is a horse who really reminds me of Russian Revolution. He’s just really furnished and 1100 and 1200 metres is his go. The only bad run in his life was when he was over seven furlongs.
“He’s a bigger, stronger and more mature horse now. He’s not one of those horses who looked like he was a ready–made two-year-olds and now he has matured into the most beautiful animal.
“It definitely looks like the best is ahead of him.”
An Inglis Nursery (RL, 1000m) winner last December, Wild Ruler did not run in Sydney during the autumn carnival with the Snowdens instead sending him to Brisbane for starts in the BRC Champagne Classic (Gr 2, 1200m) and the J J Atkins Plate (Gr 1, 1400m). Both races were won by Rothfire (Rothesay).
“Last preparation he didn’t have it all together physically and mentally but this preparation, as we’ve seen in his trials and his races, he’s travelling and settling like a much more complete racehorse and he’s bringing that to the races,” Field continued.
“Last preparation he was overracing all the time and Peter and Paul have done a great job in getting the horse to relax and hopefully he keeps producing on race day.
“The penny looks to have dropped with this horse. It’s a small field in the Roman Consul, but it’s a red-hot race, and if he was to win that we’d definitely keep all options on the table.”
While a lot still has to fall into place for Wild Ruler to sneak into The Everest, if he was to do so it could bring an end to his spring, ruling out a shot at the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day at Flemington.
Field pointed out: “I think you have got to pick one or other and certainly Peter and Paul would be a huge influence in which way we were to go.”
Everest slot holder Horse
MiEverest Eduardo
Max Whitby Trekking
James Harron Libertini
Inglis Gytrash
Bon Ho Classique Legend
TAB Nature Strip
Yulong Tofane
Aquis Farnan
The Star Behemoth
Godolphin Bivouac
Coolmore Santa Ana Lane
Chris Waller Racing –