Rich Hill continue to fly high with first stakes winner for Satono Aladdin
As weeks go, they don’t get much better than that experienced by Rich Hill Stud.
The Matamata-based farm stands five stallions and in the last seven days Vadamos (Monsun) has landed a maiden Group 1 winner, Shocking (Street Cry) scored a Group 1 placing, Proisir (Choisir) a Guineas success and, yesterday, the stud completed a magic quartet of results when Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) claimed a first stakes winner, anywhere in the world, at Caulfield.
The milestone success for Japanese shuttler Satono Aladdin came courtesy of the impressive Grand Impact (3 c ex Serena Slam by Swiss Ace), who remained unbeaten from three starts in convincingly winning the Blue Sapphire Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), a race won previously by stallions Written By (Written Tycoon) (2018) and Flying Artie (Artie Schiller) (2016).
However, the race was not without drama prior to the start, as favourite Economics (Capitalist) was scratched at the barriers when flipping over in his gate, resulting in rider Chad Schofield sustaining a broken rib. The horse appears to have escaped unscathed.
Grand Impact was sent forward by Ben Melham to sit outside the leader, Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Daumier (Epaulette).
After the field circled wide around the corner, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt skipped clear in the wet, going on to post a length-and-three-quarter victory over Shailaled (Shalaa), who stuck to his task well in second, while Lofty Strike (Snitzel), a daughter of Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Overreach (Exceed And Excel), briefly threatened in finishing a further length back in third.
The win was a second in as many years in the Blue Sapphire for Price and his co-trainer Kent, having won the race in 2021 with Extreme Warrior (Extreme Choice).
Price attributed the application of blinkers to ‘raceday colt’ Grand Impact as the defining factor, with the three-year-old to set for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington on October 29.
“I brought these two colts (Grand Impact and sixth-placed Bews) out here last Saturday morning for a course–proper gallop. Bews worked better than Grand Impact, but no blinkers on Grand Impact means no effort. He’s a funny colt. Blinkers on for raceday and he’s a real raceday colt,” he said.
“I can’t take anything away from him, he was very strong to the line, and it’s two weeks into the Coolmore [Stud Stakes] for the both of them.”
Grand Impact is an $11 chance for the Coolmore Stud Stakes, in a market headed by Godolphin filly In Secret (I Am Invincible) at $4.50.
Satono Aladdin has made an impressive start with his maiden crop horses in the southern hemisphere. From 17 runners, the stallion has sired seven winners, three of which at metropolitan tracks in Australia, while in Sacred Satono he has a stakes-placed horse in New Zealand.
In Japan, where Satono Aladdin stands at Shadai Stallion Station, the stallion has 38 runners from 96 starts for an identical strike-rate of 40 per cent.
A homebred for Ross and Corrine Kearney’s Okaharau Station, Grand Impact is the second named foal out of the Swiss Ace (Secret Savings) mare Serena Slam.
Unraced, Serena Slam was a $2,000 purchase for her breeders from the 2016 Karaka National Broodmare Sale.
Grand Impact is just the second stakes winner under his first three dams, with his family stretching back to US influences, including Grade 1 winner Louis Quatorze (Sovereign Dancer).
The colt is the final foal for Serena Slam, who died last year. She has a four-year-old filly named Serena’s Spirit who has placed three times from four starts for trainer Carl Henderson.
The win was a second stakes win of the day for Westbury Stud stallion Swiss Ace in the capacity of broodmare sire, with Grand Impact followed by the Gloaming Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) win for Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Redwood) at Warwick Farm.
From 57 runners, daughters of Swiss Ace have posted five individual stakes winners, led by Group 2 winner Swiss Exile (Pariah).