Lion roars home in week of firsts for Mapperley’s Contributer
Mapperley Stud have had a week to remember courtesy of their stallion Contributer (High Chaparral) who, after siring his first Group winner on Wednesday in the shape of Lowland Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m) scorer Llanacord, ended the week with his first Group 1 victor as the John O’Shea-trained Lion’s Roar (3 g ex Minnaleo by Black Minnaloushe) flew home to land the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
O’Shea, who trained Contributer to his two Group 1 wins in Australia, won his first Group 1 race since leaving the Godolphin operation in May 2017.
Lion’s Roar, from the first crop of the Chipping Norton Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner, broke his maiden at Kembla Grange at the start of this season, before being propelled into Group 1 company, finishing second to Montefilia (Kermadec) in the Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) in October. He returned with a fifth-placed finish in the Hobartville Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) before causing a shock here, winning at $26 under Brenton Avdulla, ahead of fellow New Zealand-bred colt Mo’unga (Savabeel) by one and a quarter lengths. Harmony Rose (Glass Harmonium) finished a head further back in third. The previously undefeated Aegon (Sacred Falls), was unable to land a blow in finishing sixth.
“What a way to do it,” said O’Shea. “It’s hard to explain the way I feel, it’s fantastic.
“Just unbelievable. In the run he was just bolting, and he had a big action down the outside, Brenton was as cool as a cucumber. Just very, very special, getting a winner for Champion (Thoroughbreds).
“I knew that he’d made a lot of improvement from the other day, we came here a bit concerned about where we’d be in the run. Brenton, to his credit, said ‘let’s go back and get some cover’ and I was so happy when he said that because I just didn’t want to ruin what we’d been doing in terms of his preparation and it’s just very exciting.
Lion’s Roar, a $65,000 purchase out of Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for Champion Thoroughbreds, will now be set for the Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m) on March 20.
“He’s been a work in progress. We had this race and the Rosehill Guineas in mind and I think we’re sort of on track.
“It’s always been our target race (the Rosehill Guineas) so to pick up this race along the way is very good. It’s indicative of where he’s at and hopefully we can get to Rosehill in a couple of weeks and he’ll be just as effective.
“He’s a serious horse with a great ownership group and it’s very exciting. I’ve got my mum and dad in him – we couldn’t sell a share as a two-year-old!”
Lion’s Roar is out of four-time winner Minnaleo (Black Minnaloushe) a daughter of Avondale Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2200m) winner The Mighty Lions (Grosvenor).
Contributer stood the 2020 season for NZ$10,000 at Mapperley Stud, run by former New Zealand rugby player, Simms Davison, having stood his first year for NZ$15,000 and his next three seasons at NZ$12,500.
His yearlings this year have sold for up to NZ$190,000, with their average price almost doubling to $95,916.
Homesman claims emotional Australian Cup success
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Homesman (7 g War Front – My Annette by Red Ransom) scored a poignant victory in the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) at Flemington yesterday.
Part-owner of Homesman, Australian music icon Michael Gudinski, died suddenly on Monday night, aged 68, sparking an outpouring of emotion from his closest friends, including Nick Williams, who was at headquarters to witness yesterday’s special success.
Gudinski shared in a number of horses part-owned with Lloyd and Nick Williams, including three Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winners, Almandin (Monsun), Rekindling (High Chaparral) and last year’s winner Twilight Payment (Teofilo).
Homesman paid the perfect tribute to Gudinski by battling hard to defeat Best Of Days (Azamour) by a nose in an exciting finish, perfectly called by Matt Hill, who said: “Homesman, with the music man cheering above” as they crossed the line.
Speaking immediately after the race, Nick Williams said: “Most importantly his (Gudinski’s) son (Matt) is here leading the horse in. All I want to say is ‘there’s only one Michael Gudinski!’”
Ridden by Jye McNeil, who teamed with Gudinski and his fellow owners to win last year’s Melbourne Cup, Homesman rounded the turn for home three-wide, with Best Of Days on his inner.
He trailed the Luke Nolan-ridden Best Of Days all the way up the straight until getting his nose in front inside the final 50 metres. Best Of Days was unable to respond and lost out in the bob of heads, with Chapada (Bullet Train) another length away in third.
Sam Freedman, who trains Homesman in partnership with his father Anthony Freedman, said the Freedman family were close to Gudinski.
“Dad has some very fond memories with him back in the 90s and early 2000s,” Freedman said.
“He (the horse) certainly had some help out there.”
Freedman said Lloyd Williams came up with a plan to ride Homesman in a European fashion.
“Having a bit of room to move helped and one thing he’s got is that tenacity, that will to win and he’s now a two-time Group 1 winner,” Freedman said.
“We couldn’t quite get a slot in the All-Star Mile, but this is maybe a little bit better.
“We knew he’d be a touch stronger than the second horse in the last little bit and he’s proven at this distance.
“On the line I thought the other horse got the bob in, so it was a pleasant surprise.”
In a tribute to Gudinski, McNeil pointed to the skies as he was welcomed back to the winner’s enclosure by an adoring crowd in Melbourne – a stark contrast to his eerie Melbourne Cup success four months ago.
He said it was a tough performance from Homesman, who gave it his all to score his second top-level success, adding to his 2018 Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) win.
“There was a plan of attack today and it all came off,” McNeil said.
“On the line I thought he was giving me everything he had, but I felt he was starting to peak on his run and starting to lay in a touch, but he put it all on the track today and I’m super happy to get the win.”
Savatiano clings on in Canterbury for first Group 1
Ultra consistent-mare Savatiano (6 m Street Cry – Retsina by Redoute’s Choice) broke through for a long overdue maiden Group 1 victory in the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) at Randwick yesterday.
A six-time Group winner and twice placed at the top level previously, Savatiano held off a late lunge from the Anthony Cummings-trained Mizzy (Zoustar) to ensure she finally scored at the highest level on her 38th career start.
“She now has a deserved Group 1,” winning trainer James Cummings said.
“(She) had won over $2m in prize-money without winning that Group 1 so far. Outside of Classique Legend there wouldn’t be too many other horses around the world to do that.”
Settled third behind leader Samadoubt (Not A Single Doubt), jockey Hugh Bowman peeled Savatiano out three-wide on the turn before taking the lead at the 300 metres.
Savatiano had opened up a healthy gap on her rivals with 100 metres to go but was begging for the line shortly after, as the petrol tank began to empty. The Regan Bayliss-ridden Mizzy was just too late to the party and lost out by a nose, with Masked Crusader (Toronado) another one and a quarter lengths back in third. Savatiano’s stablemate Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) could only finish fourth after rearing at the start.
“I was given a couple of hand notes to take with me to the barriers from Darren Beadman and James Cummings,” Bowman said.
“I didn’t know which one I was going to use but Darren said she can run a strong seven (furlongs), so when Nash (Rawiller) started to control my pace from the 800 metres I thought ‘I don’t want to play into their hands, I want to use her strengths’ so that’s what I did.
“All credit goes to her because when I asked her to really go on and win the race at the 300-metre mark she certainly did it with authority.
“I was expecting some competition late in the piece and when Mizzy came, Savatiano showed her fighting qualities and won with authority in the end.”
It was a successful day for Darley’s late stallion Street Cry (Machiavellian), whose shuttling-son Street Boss sired the Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Anamoe.