Ole Kirk takes Golden Rose in Hawkes quinella
Closely related to champion mare Black Caviar, the blueblood held off stablemate North Pacific to take the $1 million feature
The Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) rather than The Everest (1200m) looks the likely next stop for Ole Kirk (3 c Written Tycoon – Naturale by Bel Esprit) after the colt secured his future at stud with a tremendous victory in the Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Rosehill yesterday, leading home a quinella for the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes training partnership.
By Written Tycoon (Iglesia) out of Naturale (Bel Esprit), a sister to legendary mare Black Caviar, Ole Kirk already had one of the most desirable pedigree pages in the Australian Stud Book and had put together a handy resume in just six starts. That included a win in the Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) and placings in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m).
Ticking the Group 1 box, though, elevates Ole Kirk to one of the hottest stallion prospects in the country, a profile that is only set to grow in the coming weeks as he heads towards the Caulfield Guineas.
Sent out the $7 second elect behind $1.55 hotpot Rothfire (Rothesay), the Tommy Berry-ridden Ole Kirk settled beyond midfield on the rail. Meanwhile, Rothfire – the shortest-priced favourite since the Peter Pan Stakes became the Golden Rose in 2003 – was forced to battle the elements and his rivals in a bid to add a second Group 1 to his record.
Rob Heathcote’s Rothfire was fast to begin with Jim Byrne aboard but could not cross to the rail as Nash Rawiller on Mamaragan (Wandjina) kicked up underneath him. That forced Byrne to work hard to get down to the rail, with the gelding recording a 10.66 sectional from the 1200 metres to the 1000 metres into a blustery headwind.
While Byrne did his best to give Rothfire a breather down the side – with the rider himself saying that the Queenslander got “soft sectionals” in front – the over-racing Yardstick (Criterion) applied pressure as well, ensuring that it would take something special for the horse dubbed the ‘Thrilla from Chinchilla’ to prevail.
Rothfire had the temerity to kick clear upon straightening and for a few strides it appeared that he may be able to overcome all of the hurdles that had been placed in his way. Passing the 200 metres, though, it became clear that it was too big a mountain to climb as Rothfire and his stablemate North Pacific (Brazen Beau) dashed on by from well back in the field.
North Pacific was pulled to the outside by James McDonald and had time to build momentum while Berry was forced to await a gap, momentarily held up passing the 300 metres before he was able to switch over the heels of Peltzer (So You Think) into clear running.
The pair came with their runs at the same time, with North Pacific looking to have the upper hand early in their titanic struggle. However, Ole Kirk kicked back under Berry and held North Pacific to the line, edging clear to record a head success.
Two-time Group 1 winner King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) recorded an eye-catching Guineas trial, flashing home into third, two lengths from the winner, with Rothfire fading into fourth, a further length and a quarter away.
“I could see North Pacific coming down the outside,” Michael Hawkes said. “To his credit he was very gallant in defeat, to put in the effort from where he was to get back. Tommy just got held up and he had to wait for the right run. That probably proved the difference – just by being held up, he was able to sprint that little bit better.
“They’ve streeted the rest. We’ve always had two really good colts and we’ve tried to separate them, but obviously this is the Grand Final, the Group 1s, and you put them against each other. To run one-two, it’s fantastic.
“I said to Neil Werrett before the first-up run, that the horse was going very good, as good as he’s ever gone. He’s from the All Too Hard, Black Caviar family – it just doesn’t get any better. He is going to excel further. Look out Caulfield Guineas.”
Berry, who brought up Group 1 win number 30 yesterday, added: “I didn’t know it was James outside me on North Pacific but I thought I was beaten 80 metres out. But Ole just pinned his ears back, he didn’t want to lie down.
“He’s had a great attitude all preparation, he’s definitely a lot more mature than he was last season. The writing was on the wall last time, everyone forgot about him to a certain extent but we definitely didn’t at home in the stable.”
Rothfire was unsaddled and walked back to the enclosure riderless, with the vets reporting him to be lame in his off fore leg, graded three out of five. There was also concern about a shoulder and it appeared last night that he was in serious doubt to contest the $15 million The Everest, where he holds the miRunners slot.
“My main concern is for the health and the well-being of the horse,” Heathcote told 7News. “We’ve got to find out what’s wrong; fingers crossed that everything works out.”
Racing in the green and yellow colours of Neil Werrett, who was also managing part-owner of Black Caviar, Ole Kirk was bred by Rick Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm, just like his close relation. And Werrett last night said he was awaiting calls from eager stud farms wanting the breeding rights for the Golden Rose winner.
“The breeding and the whole thing that has gone into this race. I can’t believe we have won it,” Werrett said. “As soon as I saw the page and I remembered Rick had told me about this sister to Black Caviar way back, and how unfortunate it was that she couldn’t race; when it was coming up in Melbourne, I asked the Hawkeses if they had looked at it and they said it was on their list to buy. I said I want to buy it.
“I got Mark Player to buy for me because I didn’t want people to think the Hawkeses were buying for me. I have put my sister, Colin Madden and Brett (Bradley) into her and Rick stayed in. That makes it more special.
“This family is very special and if someone wants to give us $50 million, they can stand him.”
Purchased by Player’s International Thoroughbred Solutions on Werrett’s behalf for $675,000 at last year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, the Gilgai Farm-consigned Ole Kirk has now earned $835,600 from just seven starts.
“He was so immature but that family keeps getting better and better,” recalled Gilgai Farm manager Kelly Skillecorn. “He was an immature colt at the sales and I’m just so grateful he ended up with the Hawkes’ who are so patient with these colts and there’s none better in turning a yearling colt into a stallion and they’ve done it again.
“Just take a look at his page, there’s none better in the studbook. Black Caviar, All Too Hard, Scandinavia, Magnus, now you can add Ole Kirk to that. Wow. The mare is back in foal to Written Tycoon too, which is a huge result now especially.”
For Michael Hawkes, though, the Ole Kirk purchase in March last year – as well as North Pacific’s acquisition from the same sale – is a reminder of the team effort that goes into his training partnership with father John and brother Wayne.
“Dad and Wayne saw the colts at the sale, I wasn’t there,” he said. “It’s a team effort, I was home here with the horses and they did that particular sale, they were the top two lots and they’ve finished one-two here.
“For us it’s about trying to buy these athletes from day one – it’s not about the price tag. I know price tag comes with it nine times out of 10 but we make colts, it’s what we love doing, and we’ve just made another two. It’s a great thrill. There’s no fluke. They were always going to improve.”
While the Caulfield Guineas does appear the most logical target with Ole Kirk, Werrett occupies an Everest slot along with Max Whitby. They are yet to choose their runner; if not Ole Kirk, then perhaps North Pacific will fill their slot for the world’s richest race on turf, providing a fitting conclusion to a grand Golden Rose.
Crosshaven puts hand up to tackle Ole Kirk
While Ole Kirk was the star of the show in Sydney, the Melbourne colts and geldings attempted to put their name forward in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr 3, 1400m), with the prize a clash with the Golden Rose winner in two weeks.
Step forward Crosshaven (3 g Smart Missile – Irish Colleen by Shinko King), with the Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained gelding taking his record to four wins from five starts with his victory in the Prelude.
Settling handy under Daniel Stackhouse, Crosshaven put a length and three-quarters on his nearest chasers, Amish Boy (Star Witness) and National Choice (Snitzel).
“It was a really good effort because it looked to me that they really ran along there and he was able to do it at both ends,” Hayes said. “He’s a pretty nice horse, isn’t he?
“He really accelerated well and won well so it’s really exciting looking ahead. He’s four from five now. He’s got a fantastic record and every race he’s won impressively. He’s now a serious contender heading towards the Caulfield Guineas.”
In perhaps a sign of where analysts see the Prelude as opposed to other three-year-old formlines, Crosshaven sits at $11 in the TAB’s Caulfield Guineas market, with Ole Kirk the $6 second favourite behind $5 elect Mo’unga (Savabeel), the unbeaten Dulcify Quality (Listed, 1500m) winner.
Crosshaven also sits behind Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) and Bill Stutt Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) victor Glenfiddich (Fastnet Rock) in terms of Victorian-based horses, with both Tagaloa and Glenfiddich Group 1-placed in Sydney during the autumn.
Bred by Daniel Nakhle, who raced his Group 2-winning dam Irish Colleen (Shinko King), Crosshaven was purchased by Lindsay Park Racing for NZ$80,000 at last year’s NZB Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka. However, Nakhle has retained a share with Crosshaven racing in his teal colours.
Irish Colleen has produced six foals, five of them named, all winners; Crosshaven is the fifth of them. Among her previous foals is Group 3 winner Killarney (O’Reilly), while Neeson (O’Reilly) is a seven-time winner.
Crosshaven’s family traces back to 1976-1977 Australian Horse of the Year Maybe Mahal (Maybe Lad), with the champion mare his fifth dam.
In the fillies’ equivalent, the Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr 2, 1400m), Instant Celebrity (3 f Not A Single Doubt – Celebrity Girl by Starcraft) all but cemented favouritism for the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) with her easy victory yesterday, remaining undefeated after four starts.
Stepping out as favourite in the race in which her dam Celebrity Girl (Starcraft) tasted her first defeat in 2011, the Phillip Stokes-trained filly won more comfortably than the one-length margin would suggest. After racing beyond midfield, Instant Celebrity sprinted up powerfully to defeat Personal (Fastnet Rock) with Sydney visitor Rock My Wand (Wandjina) closing for third.
“Isn’t she exciting?” Stokes said. “I’ve got to give full credit to the team back in Adelaide, they’ve done a fantastic job with this filly, taken her through the grades. She’s come over here in excellent condition so it was really good to see her do that today.
“She’s always done everything well back at Morphettville, just kept on improving. She’s got the confidence and she’s a real class act.”
While the mile represents a new challenge again for Instant Celebrity, Stokes and jockey Craig Williams were in agreement that it posed no issues for her.
“I don’t think it will be a big problem. She’s a lovely, big, scopey filly, I think she’ll even get further in time,” Stokes said, with Williams adding: “She held the bridle nicely and when the gates opened she really relaxed. I remembered when I rode Miss Finland, when you ask them to go, that these types of quality horses can take off. She was really good, soft and smooth. What I asked her to do today, the normal, average horses can’t do. She’s really exciting and she’s still got a lot of maturing to do.”
Bred by Robertson Equine Investments and raced by principals Trevor and Beth Robertson, Instant Celebrity is the fourth foal – and clearly the best performer – out of Listed winner Celebrity Girl.
Celebrity Girl has a yearling Pierro (Lonhro) colt but missed to Santos (I Am Invincible) last year.
Russian to Cox Plate after Underwood success
It was a three-year-old ineligible for the Caulfield Guineas, though, that stole the spotlight at Caulfield yesterday as Russian Camelot (4 h Camelot – Lady Babooshka by Cape Cross) brought up his second Group 1 win in the Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m).
Russian Camelot, a four-year-old for Australian purposes but actually still a northern hemisphere three-year-old, is a clear-cut favourite for the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) and is also equal favourite for the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) after he defeated the older horses yesterday. And Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Danny O’Brien did little to dampen the hype by declaring the seven-start veteran his best horse ever.
Ridden outside the leader by Damien Oliver in a departure from his regular hold-up tactics, Russian Camelot strode up towards the lead approaching the straight, coming wide which had proved the most effective ground during the day.
Arcadia Queen (Pierro) stuck to the inside and matched motors with the favourite for a short while, but soon it was a one-horse affair as Russian Camelot went two lengths clear.
At the line, the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner had a length and three-quarters in hand over old marvel Humidor (Teofilo), who closed in nearer the rail, with a further half-length to Arcadia Queen in third.
“I think he’s the best horse I’ve had anything to do with, particularly to do so much so early in his career,” O’Brien said. “He’s a magnificent colt and we’re thrilled that he’s got this done today and hopefully it’s not the end of the spring for him.
“It’s really exciting to see him produce performances like this so early in his career. There’s been a lot of hype around him, people are expecting things like this so it’s really exciting to see him go out there and get it done. From here, our plan is to go two weeks to the Caulfield Stakes and then two weeks to the Cox Plate.”
The TAB last night wound Russian Camelot into $3.50 favourite for the centenary Cox Plate, the only entrant in single figures.
Sir Dragonet (Camelot), who will join the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace yard, is second favourite at $11, potentially giving Coolmore’s Camelot (Montjeu) the top two contenders in the race widely considered Australia’s weight-for-age championship. Camelot shuttled to Australia for one season in 2014.
For his part, Oliver – a two-time Cox Plate winner aboard Dane Ripper (Danehill) in 1997 and Northerly (Serheed) in 2001 – believes the race could prove suitable for Russian Camelot.
“Yeah, he could well be a Cox Plate horse,” he said. “It’s a nice preparation for him. I like the fact that he’s running fortnightly because he can be a bit fresh. Getting the racing into him now, he’s got a good foundation. Danny’s done a great job preparing him so I’m looking forward to the races ahead.”
Purchased for 120,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sales – Book 1 at Newmarket, Russian Camelot has now earned $911,225 from just seven starts, with the promise of more to come.
Russian Camelot is the second foal of unraced Lady Babooshka (Cape Cross), while his second dam Balalaika (Sadler’s Wells) was a Listed winner over nine furlongs.
Lady Babooshka is a three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner Alkaadem (Green Desert), fourth in the Dubai Duty Free (Gr 1, 1777m) won by Australia’s Elvstroem (Danehill), as well as consistent handicapper Raising Sand (Oasis Dream).
Russian Camelot has a two-year-old sister named Russian Camilla, who is in training with Sylvester Kirk in the UK. Lady Babooshka also has a filly foal by Zoffany (Dansili), while she is back in foal to Camelot.