Sebring colt Three Kings has more to give after Anzac Day Stakes success
McEvoys considering SA Sires’ Produce Stakes before spring campaign is mapped out for juvenile
Connections of Three Kings, a colt from the second-last crop of Sebring (More Than Ready), hope the two-year-old has bigger wins in store after taking out the Anzac Day Stakes (Listed, 1400m), a Flemington juvenile race with growing reputation of unearthing a spring contender.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Three Kings continued his rapid progression through the ranks with his second win in succession in the Listed feature race, prompting the stable to consider raising the bar again with the lightly–raced colt.
Three Kings ran fifth in Adelaide in early March at his first start before finishing runner-up at Sandown later in the month. He then confirmed his obvious talent with a comfortable win at Ballarat a fortnight out from yesterday’s Anzac Day Stakes.
The South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) on Saturday week at Morphettville looks a likely autumn finale for Three Kings.
“It (the SA Sires) comes up nicely on May 8. If we could get him back home, on the farm, on the river, he doesn’t have to be trained for it, as he’ll stay at 1400 metres and it looks a nice race.
“If he bounces through this then that’s where we’ll go but if he feels it and needs a break, he’ll go to the paddock,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“This was a big step up, but it is an opinion of the horse we’ve had for a long time.”
Previous winners of the Listed race include Vassilator (Zacinto) (2018) and Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) (2017), while Super Seth (Dundeel), winner of the 2019 Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), finished third to Chaillot (Testa Rossa) earlier that year.
Making his fourth start yesterday, the Luke Currie-ridden Three Kings ($6) raced to a long-head victory from Biscayne Bay (Sebring) ($10) with El Rocko (Fastnet Rock) ($26) a head away in third place.
“He’s a really nice horse,” Currie said.
“Every time I’ve ridden him, he’s been really good. To fight like he did at Ballarat, and I rode him the start before at Sandown, I thought today he could measure up, for sure.
“I think he’s a nice type of horse going forward and he’s going to be better when he gets out to the mile.”
Passed in at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with a reserve of $220,000, Three Kings is a brother to speedy dual stakes-winning juvenile Thurlow.
One of six winners for the joint New Zealand Southern Filly of the Year Princess Emmy (King’s Chapel), who was bought by Matthew Sandblom’s Hollymount Stud for $130,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale when in foal to Sebring (More Than Ready).
The resulting foal, a filly, was sold at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Sandblom’s Kingstar Farm for $270,000 to trainers Ciaraon Maher and David Eustace.
Princess Emmy has a weanling filly by Super One (I Am Invincible) but did not get in foal in 2020.
Widden Stud sire Sebring, the winner of the 2008 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), died in February 2019. He has 162 two-year-olds while his final crop numbers 152 yearlings.
Tavistock’s ‘big dummy’ Through Irish Eyes takes out VRC St Leger
The VRC St Leger (Listed, 2800m) highlighted what a loss New Zealand stallion Tavistock (Montjeu), a consistent source of staying talent, is to the Australasian industry after his son Through Irish Eyes landed yesterday’s three-year-old race first run in 1857.
A berth in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) could now be in the offing for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Through Irish Eyes, a horse described as a big dummy, after a strong staying performance at Flemington, Tavistock’s ninth individual stakes winner this season.
Ridden by Mark Zahra, Through Irish Eyes ($3.20) took the lead on straightening and rallied when challenged to score by a length over Salto Angel (Sacred Falls) ($6) with the $3 favourite Favreau (Tavistock) another head away in third.
Post-race, Eustace initially suggested either the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) at Morphettville on May 8 or the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at Eagle Farm three weeks later was appealing.
But once he was made aware that Through Irish Eyes was eligible for The Andrew Ramsden Stakes (Listed, 2800m) at Flemington on May 15, which provides the victor a ballot exemption into this year’s Melbourne Cup, Eustace believes it could be an option for the stayer.
“That is something that had not crossed our mind but it might be worth considering,” Eustace said.
“He’s just a really, really nice staying horse. He’s still learning his craft, he had a proper wander around when he hit the front, but when the penny drops, he is going to continue to progress with racing.
“He is a big dummy, but he’s had a pretty tough life. As a young horse he had colic, so he’s lucky to be alive and racing.”
Zahra said if something had challenged Through Irish Eyes in the closing stages, the gelding would have responded.
“I got to the front a long way out and I think you’ve seen that he didn’t know whether he wanted to run into the mounting yard or to the line,” Zahra said.
Danny O’Brien, trainer of the runner-up Salto Angel, said the filly could join stablemate Miami Bound (Reliable Man) as a contender in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes.
Through Irish Eyes wears the colours of owner Rod Lyons, who also races Nature Strip (Nicconi), and has made just six starts in a career which began in January before a breakthrough win at Sale over 2200 metres on March 28. He was runner-up in the Galilee Series Final (Listed, 2400m) to Liqueuro (Fiorente) prior to yesterday’s success.
Bred by Jonathan Munz, who retained a share in the gelding, Through Irish Eyes was sold for NZ$150,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to Darren Weir. He is one of four winners for Munz’s SAJC South Australia Fillies Classic (Gr 3, 2500m) winner Zapurple (Zabeel), making him a half-brother to the stakes-placed Anchor Bid (High Chaparral).
The Tavistock-Zabeel (Sir Tristram) cross is responsible for 55 individual winners, nine stakes winners including four at Group 1 level: Werther, Tarzino, Toffee Tongue and Johnny Get Angry. The nick has a ten per cent stakes winners to runners strike–rate.
Meanwhile, Zapurple’s final foal, a brother to Through Irish Eyes, was bought from Haunui Farm at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for NZ$100,0000 by Danny O’Brien.
Named Tyrian Purple, the colt is in training at O’Brien’s Barwon Heads property in Victoria.
Tavistock, who died at Cambridge Stud in December 2019, is also the sire of this season’s Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Johnny Get Angry, Group 2 winner Tavi Mac and Toffee Tongue, last year’s Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) winner.
Flying Mascot, a lightly–raced daughter of Tavistock, is expected to line up in the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on Saturday.