Incentivise obliterates his rivals in the Caulfield Cup
The rapid rise of Incentivise (Shamus Award) hit new heights yesterday, as the Peter Moody-trained gelding proved he was the very best middle distance stayer in Australia with a breathtaking display in the Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m).
After breaking well from the widest barrier, Brett Prebble pushed forward on the son of Shamus Award (Snitzel), eventually settling him three wide in third position.
As the field hit the 800-metre mark, Prebble asked the gelding for his effort and he responded in impressive fashion, putting light between himself and his rivals in a matter of strides, beating Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) by three and a half lengths. Persan (Pierro) was a further length and three-quarters away in third.
Starting his career with trainer and breeder Steve Tregea, Incentivise was beaten in his first three career starts, but has not tasted defeat since breaking his maiden at the Sunshine Coast on April 11.
After taking out six victories last season, which culminated with a win in the Tattersall’s Cup (Gr 3, 2406m), the gelding was moved to Moody’s Pakenham base for the new season. However, his success in the north last season did not go unnoticed by some major players within the industry, including Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir buying into the horse with Tregea also maintaining a stake in the five-year-old.
His connections’ faith in the gelding’s talents have been well-rewarded this season. Incentivise resumed this preparation with a win in the Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) after which he added a victory in the Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). His CV now makes for impressive reading; nine wins from 12 starts and prize-money earnings totalling $4,643,300.
The gelding’s win is made even more impressive given he had to overcome a wide barrier draw and Moody said Prebble gave the horse a beautiful ride, sticking to the well mapped out plan.
“We weren’t going to rush him, and Brett took his time,” Moody said. “He gives you a little heart flutter. He hits a flat spot coming down the side, but he just kept building.
“A super effort.”
The victory also provided Moody with his 56th Group 1 win, but until yesterday success in the Caulfield Cup had been one that had eluded him.
“It’s unbelievable,” Moody said. “Caulfield was my home for 16 or 17 years and I trained a couple of thousand winners here.
“Never this one. It’s very important to win it.”
Since returning to the training ranks 18 months ago following a spell on the sidelines, Moody has made an almost instant impact, but yesterday he was quick to heap praise on the people who have supported this newest chapter of his glittering career.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity and thanks to Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir,” the winning trainer continued. “They planted the seed, purchased the horse and recommended that he come to my yard.
“A big thanks to Steve Tregea, the former trainer, the owner and breeder of this horse and a big shout out to everyone in Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. This one is for you.”
Prebble – who was also enjoying his first triumph in the race – is confident the horse will thrive in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) on November 2.
“I was mindful of the fact they weren’t going to give him a soft lead,” Prebble said.
“The way the race was run today, there was a fair bit of wind out there, and I thought I’m definitely going to get cover, even if it is on the side there for the first 1200 metres.
“He doesn’t over-race, he doesn’t waste his energy like some of the others do, Damien’s (Oliver, on Delphi) was a bit aggressive.
“I was surprised, he came off the bridle a bit sooner than I would have liked, but I showed him the whip before the home turn and all that is telling me, is ‘look out Melbourne Cup’.
“He is going to eat up the 3200 metres. He is exciting. He is probably one of the most exciting horses I’ve ridden.”
The victory will have come as a welcome bit of good news for Sokolski and Kheir, who began their day coming to terms with the loss of their star performer Sir Dragonet (Camelot) after he broke a leg in a routine gallop at Moonee Valley as he prepared to defend his crown in next weekend’s Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
“They say that about racing, to enjoy the highs while they are there because the lows will come around as they did this morning,” Kheir told Racing.com.
“I woke to the news in the morning and I was a mess. My heart was melted and I literally couldn’t think of watching a race.
“I went for a walk for about three hours to clear my head and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. We love that horse and I am going to really miss him.
“To be honest, I couldn’t think of anything that could cheer me up. Nothing.”
But after watching Incentivise demolish his rivals by the biggest margin since Might And Power’s (Zabeel) win in 1997 edition of the Group 1, Kheir took his own advice and enjoyed the victory delivered by this emerging star of Australian racing.
“We’ve got a very, very special horse on our hands,” Kheir said. “We will savour this moment and enjoy it. I do think this horse will become a cult hero and be something really special and be a horse that people will look back at and love watching his replays.
“I’m back. It’s taken all day but I’m back. It was just such an amazing win and he’s an amazing horse. I’ll never forget that run today, as I’ll never forget Sir Dragonet.”
Bred by Tregea’s Windermere Stud, Incentivise (5 g Shamus Award – Miss Argyle by Iglesia) is the eighth of nine foals out of the deceased mare Miss Argyle (Iglesia) and half-brother to Group 3 winner and Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) and Queensland stakes winners Bergerac (Drumbeats) and Cheyenne Warrior (Not A Single Doubt).
Further back the gelding shares a page with Group 2 scorers Express Air (Piccolo) and Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom) as well as stakes-winning duo Diamondsondinside (Iglesia) and Heaven’s Deal (Spirit Of Boom).
The gelding is one of four Group 1 winners for Rosemont Stud-based sire Shamus Award, while his total stakes winners stands at 16. The stallion is standing for an increased fee of $33,000 (inc GST), having stood last season for $19,800 (inc GST).
Nature Strip makes it third time lucky as he finally scales Everest
The Chris Waller-trained Nature Strip (Nicconi) gave a grandstand of spectators fresh out of lockdown something to cheer about yesterday when he finally put his Everest (1200m) ghosts to bed with a thrilling victory in the $15 million race at Randwick.
The gelding was taking aim at the lucrative sprint for the third time in his career, having run fourth in 2019, while he finished down the field in seventh in last year’s edition of the 1200-metre contest.
Ridden by James McDonald, the gelding tracked a wide course to lead, before racing clear at the top of the straight. He looked to have the race at his mercy half-way down the straight, but Masked Crusader (Toronado) finished strongly and the gelding had to dig deep to repel that rival’s advances, eventually beating him by a short-neck.
Eduardo (Host) was the same distance away in third, while last year’s winner Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) came home in fifth – two lengths off the winner.
It was McDonald’s first Everest win and the champion jockey said the straight at Randwick had never felt as long as it did yesterday.
“You have no idea, it felt like a minute,” McDonald said. “When I crossed the line I thought I hung on, then Tommy (Berry on Masked Crusader) said, ‘who got it?’.
“It was pretty close, too close for comfort. He just showed so much grit and determination. He is a star.”
It was Waller’s second win in the $15 million race, having sent out now Coolmore Stud-based sire Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) to win the race in 2019 and he said this victory was up there with one of the best moments of his glittering career.
“It’s right up there,” Waller said. “It’s just a great race. It has captured the imagination of so many people, inside racing and out and what better way to get out of Covid.
“He got the highest rated sprinter in the world for a reason and that gave me some confidence. He’s probably justified it today.”
In winning the race, Nature Strip chalked up his 18th victory from 33 starts – with six of them coming at top-flight level – and he has amassed $14,953,685 in prize-money.
After the race, Waller was candid about the problems the gelding had experienced prior to his start in last year’s feature.
“Last preparation we had a scope down his throat every third day,” Waller said.
“Every time he raced he was bright, but after his races he’d struggle.
“He was constantly on antibiotics. You’d get him off antibiotics, ready for a race, try to get him right but it was all too much.”
Waller also praised the role of McDonald, who has been Nature Strip’s regular rider and a major player in teaching the once head-strong gelding to relax.
“He gets this horse to settle and it hasn’t been just this week, it’s been over three years and that horse just connects with him,” Waller said. “Horses run for James. If he was in a Formula One car he’d be at the front of the grid.”
Bred by Golden Grove Stud Farm, Nature Strip (7 g Nicconi – Strikeline by Desert Sun) is one of three winners out of Group 3-winning mare Strikeline (Desert Sun), making him a half-brother to Listed scorer The Barrister (Star Witness).
Strikeline herself is a daughter of Listed winner Strike High (Pre Emptive Strike) and she produced a further four winners, including Group 3 winner Bashful Girl (Perugino).
Having missed to multiple New Zealand champion Savabeel (Zabeel) in 2018 and 2019, Strikeline was covered by Rosemont Stud-based sire Shamus Award (Snitzel) last December.
Nature Strip is one of 23 stakes winners and the only elite-level winner for the Widden Stud-based sire Nicconi (Bianconi), who relocated to the stud’s Victorian roster for the 2021 season where he is standing for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST).
Savy Yong Blonk gets her Group 1 in the Livamol Classic
The Jamie Richards-trained Savy Yong Blonk (Savabeel) added a much deserved and valuable Group 1 to her CV when she landed the Livamol Classic (Gr 1, 2040m) at Hastings yesterday.
A dual Group 3 winner prior to yesterday’s win, Savy Yong Blonk finished off strongly to post a short-neck win over Harlech (Darci Brahma) with Prise De Fer (Savabeel) coming home another half a length away in third.
The mare came into the race off the back of two disappointing runs in the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m) and Super Seth at Waikato Stud Mile Handicap (1600m), but despite those results Richards was always keen to press on to this race.
“It has always been the plan to head to this race, but it does dent the confidence a wee bit off the back of a below par performance that she put in at Te Rapa,” Richards said.
“You just have to take her on trust to get away from the gates cleanly, which she did today and Danielle (Johnson) gave her a lovely ride.”
The trainer revealed the mare would now be covered by Savabeel’s barnmate Super Seth (Dundeel), but is confident she can net another Group 1 before her career comes to an end.
“She is off to visit Super Seth and we will then race her on and hope to pick up another one (Group 1 win) if we can,” the winning trainer said.
“I am absolutely thrilled she has a Group 1 now as she thoroughly deserves it.”
Bred and raced by Jim and Bill Gartshore, under their Gartshore Bloodstock banner, Savy Yong Blonk has now won eight of her 27 starts and over NZ$486,000 in prize-money.
The mare is one of three winners out of unraced Pins (Snippets) mare Ampin, making her a sister to Australian Group 2 scorer Adelaide Ace and one-time winner Auron.
Ampin herself is a daughter of dual winner and New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) runner-up Ambitious (Last Tycoon) – the dam of Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed Strike The Stars (Savabeel), while further back this is also the same family as Group 3 scorer Another Dollar (Ocean Park), who finished second in the 2018 edition of the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m).
Ampin missed to Coolmore Stud shuttler Churchill (Galileo) in 2020 and she produced a filly by Darley Stud-based sire Lonhro (Octagonal) this year.
In winning yesterday’s 2040-metre contest, the mare becomes the 24th individual top-flight winner for Waikato Stud’s multiple champion stallion Savabeel (Zabeel) and seventh for Pins as a broodmare sire.
The victory once again exemplifies the potency of Savabeel when mated to daughters of his late barnmate Pins. The mare is now the fourth top-flight winner bred on this cross, joining Probabeel, Savvy Coup and Brambles, while daughters of Pins have produced 16 stakes winners in total when mated to Savabeel. The nick fires at a stakes winners to runners strike rate of 13 per cent.
Six-time champion New Zealand stallion Savabeel stands at the New Zealand nursery for a fee of NZ$100,000 (plus GST).