Kia Ora’s Farnan Gifted first winner
Kia Ora Stud’s first-season sire Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) brought up his first winner when speedy colt North England took out Saturday’s Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill.
Ridden by Tim Clark, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained two-year-old surged to the front from gate three of nine, to beat off filly O’ Ole (Ole Kirk) early in the straight and had just enough in reserve to win by 0.53 lengths.
In an all-colts trifecta, Coolmore’s much vaunted shuttler Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) almost brought up his first Australian-born winner, with the Team Hawkes-trained West Of Swindon taking second, millimetres ahead of his fellow debutant, Michael Freedman’s Extractor (Spirit Of Boom) in third.
Despite the $1 million event being non black type, Team Waterhouse-Bott – who trained Farnan to his 2017 Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) triumph – was delighted to open its Sydney two-year-old account for the season, having dominated the juvenile scene last term.
“What a good win,” said stable representative Neil Paine. “Tim is brilliant on our two-year-olds. He jumped out, he didn’t drive it mad, he just cruised up to the lead, kept a hold of it and the horse kept giving.”
Saturday’s $580,000 first prize for North England, a solid $3.40 favourite, essentially ensures the China Horse Club-Newgate colt has secured a berth in next autumn’s $5 million Golden Slipper.
“Obviously, the great thing about winning today is he’s in the [Slipper], so they can pick their mark with him,” Paine said. “He can have a good break now and just come back and have one race in mind for him. And he doesn’t have to improve a lot to be right up there with the best of them in six months time.”
A $280,000 purchase from Valiant Stud’s draft and this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for China Horse Club, Newgate, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy, North England hinted at his class with a 2.46 length win at Sydney’s first official two-year-old barrier trials on September 23.
He followed up by earning black type when third in the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m), won by King Kirk (Ole Kirk).
North England is one of two runners so far for Farnan, currently standing in his fourth season at Kia Ora for $55,000 (inc GST).
China Horse Club’s Michael Smith was anything but surprised by Saturday’s impressive victory.
“Ever since we bought him at Classic he’s done nothing wrong, he developed nicely in his early days then was an unlucky third in the Breeders’ Plate on debut and he’s atoned today,’’ Smith said.
“Gai and Adrian have done a super job with him and we’re really excited about his future.
“We go to Classic to buy those early running two-year-olds and those horses we think are the goods and there’s always plenty of them at Classic.
“We were delighted to take him home and we’ll be back at Classic in February to find plenty more like him.’’
Valiant Stud’s Fergal Connolly described today’s win as “absolutely fantastic’’.
“We’re just delighted to have been involved with this horse’s journey in some small way,’’ Connolly said.
Bred by Zhongli Thoroughbreds, North England is the third and latest foal for Our Belisa (Lope De Vega), a city winner of four races. In an endorsement of her mating with Farnan, half-brother Kimberley Currency (Pride Of Dubai) is a 13-start maiden, while half-sister Adventure Seeker (The Autumn Sun) has a placing from three runs.
The 11-year-old Our Belisa has missed in the past two seasons.
North England is Waterhouse-Bott’s second juvenile winner Australia-wide for the season, with Tremonti (Hellbent) having claimed the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Flemington last month.
West Of Swindon, a $350,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast buy for Team Hawkes from the Widden draft, hinted at better results to come with his fast-finishing second.
Extractor, a $300,000 buy from Eureka Stud’s Gold Coast draft for Freedman and Gandharvi, also gave hints of his class in making strong ground for third.
In circumstances which may cause confusion and disappointment for connections of the winner and placegetters, the Golden Gift remains non black type, despite being promoted as a Group 3 by Racing NSW.
It is one of 13 NSW races listed as having entered Australia’s black type pattern – with two more “promoted” from Listed to Group 3 – in recent controversial moves by RNSW, rubber-stamped by Racing Australia (RA).
However, their supposed new status is meaningless for the stallion’s CVs and horses pedigrees, as it has not been approved by international authorities – the Asian Pattern Committee (APC), the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee, and the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers.
Auction houses Inglis and Magic Millions are refusing to recognise the upgrades, as is Arion, the southern hemisphere’s leading provider of pedigrees.
The APC has written a strongly worded letter to RA to express its dissatisfaction with the situation.