Options open for Tremonti after Maribyrnong Trial Stakes win
Tremonti (Hellbent) kept the Tulloch Lodge two-year-old roll going and became the sixth black–type winner for his Yarraman Park sire in taking Saturday’s Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Flemington.
Starting a $4.20 second elect, the Darby Racing colt was an early leader along the fence from gate one of seven under Jye McNeil, and despite falling a half-length behind Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom) at the 100 metres, lifted himself off the canvas to beast the Lindsay Park colt by 0.4 lengths.
Pinecliff Racing’s Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Price Tag (Zoustar), the $3.60 favourite, was the same margin back in third.
Bought by Darby for $180,000 from the Magic Millions Gold Coast sale, the robust and short-coupled Tremonti had given notice of his ability with a 0.54 length second to highly rated stablemate Tuscany (Zoustar) in Randwick’s first official two-year-old trials on September 23.
Tuscany failed to reproduce that form when he could manage just fifth of eight as favourite in Randwick’s Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) on Saturday. Team Waterhouse-Bott not only still managed to win that race, but also trained the trifecta of King Kirk (Ole Kirk), Tempestuous (Extreme Choice) and North England (Farnan).
Fifteen minutes later, Tulloch Lodge underlined that after being the country’s dominant two-year-old stable last season it would again be a formidable force on the juvenile scene this term, as Tremonti claimed Melbourne’s first such race of 2024-25.
“That’s made my day, because I loved the way when he was beaten he just came again and showed such tenacity,” Gai Waterhouse told Racing.com. “I love that in a horse, I really do.
“And perhaps drawing the right marble early in the week, Jye McNeil was smart enough to take advantage of gate one to just give him that guide rail.
“He’s got the fence there. It gives him a big help, especially with these horses coming from interstate.”
Waterhouse said Tremonti may spell or continue to the Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day, while he’s also eligible for the $3m Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.
McNeil was similarly impressed.
“He did a great job. The runner up had a really good burst of speed, but he [Tremonti] is fit and really well,” the winning rider said.
“Once [Shining Smile] went past him, he was in for the fight. He was very genuine and very good. He was pulling away on the line.
“With Gai and Adrian’s, you know what you’re going to get. I put him on speed and gave him that rail to follow. I loved how determined and tough he is. He’s got a great attitude.”
Purchased from the Redbank North draft at the Gold Coast sale, Tremonti (2 c Hellbent – Quachita by All Too Hard) is the first foal out of the well-bred Quachita (All Too Hard), herself a half-sister to New Zealand Group 1-placed winner Tulsi (The Autumn Sun), and from the family of Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Kiamichi (Sidestep).
Quachita, who raced twice, has a yearling filly by Gold Standard (Sebring) and was covered last spring by Newgate’s Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner State Of Rest (Starspangledbanner).
Hellbent (I Am Invincible), currently covering his seventh book of mares at Yarraman, for $38,500, has six black–type victors, among 154 winners, from 251 runners worldwide, headed by Group 1-winning sprinting mares Magic Time and Benedetta.
