Small field but Blue Sapphire provides plenty of talking points
Ranting causes upset in Group 3, Coolmore next for Corstens’ son of Zoustar
The three-horse field drew derision from some in the lead-up to the Blue Sapphire Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) but the trio’s clash provided a spectacle worthy of the $400,000 on offer and it was Ranting (Zoustar), a maiden before yesterday, who rallied to take the major prize
In doing so, Vain Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) and Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) placegetter Ranting ($11) enhanced his own credentials by downing last season’s brilliant two-year-old Hanseatic (Street Boss) ($3.90) and Anders (Not A Single Doubt) ($1.35 favourite).
Ranting, remarkably, over raced early and was caught three wide outside Hanseatic, who kicked up to sit outside the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Anders, who was having his first start back from an elevated temperature which ruled him out of of the A J Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) last month.
Just as Hanseatic, who finished second, and Anders appeared to be fighting it out, Ranting balanced up to close well in the last 50 metres to win by a half-neck.
Hanseatic, who was found to have bled from both nostrils and will incur a three-month ban from racing, had a short-head to spare over third-placed Anders in a thrilling finish. Anders was later diagnosed with heat stress.
Such is Troy Corstens’ belief in Ranting’s ability, he refused to send the colt to a maiden and now, after the colt’s breakthrough Group 3 win, the trainer will attempt to land the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), a victory that would ensure the son of Zoustar’s (Northern Meteor) appeal as a stallion prospect.
“When they started to drop him off I thought he was going to be a bit disappointing but he just took that time to balance up and I love the way he found the line,” Corstens said.
“I’ve got two really nice horses going to the Coolmore. He’s going to be a very valuable colt one day and hopefully we can run really well in the Coolmore.”
Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father Leon, already has three-year-old filly Swats That (Shamus Award), the winner of Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield.
Ranting’s jockey Ben Melham admitted to some curse words at the 600-metre mark, but was confident the colt would be able to run on under pressure.
“They got away from me a little. I let him drift a bit in the straight away from them and he was too strong late,” Melham said.
“It was no surprise to me that he won today. Onwards and upwards for him.”
Jockey Mark Zahra admitted Anders, who was secured by Widden Stud for stallion duties, after his stunning San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) victory on August 29, ran a disappointing race and also said he was shocked that his two rivals were able to remain so close to him early.
Ranting, who was bred by Gerry Harvey, was purchased by Flemington Bloodstock and Malua Racing for $280,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Westbury Stud draft.
From six starts, he has now been placed on five occasions including his Blue Sapphire Stakes success. He has now earned $323,800 in prize-money.
He is the first foal out of the placed mare Vanilla Ice Cream (More Than Ready) who in turn is a daughter of the five-time stakes-placed mare Villa Bled (Danehill), a sister to Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Danelagh.
Corstens also sought out the second and last foal of Vanilla Ice Cream, a Tarzino (Tavistock) colt, who made NZ$95,000 at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Vanilla Ice Cream died before foaling in 2019.
Zoustar, who stands at Widden Stud for a fee of $121,000 (inc GST) this year, is the sire of 15 stakes winners including Group 1 winner Sunlight who sold for $4.2 million as a broodmare at the Magic Millions National Sale on the Gold Coast earlier this year.
Sovereign Award latest Shamus Award to hit the board at Caulfield
The hot run of form by Rosemont Stud’s recruit Shamus Award (Snitzel), the sire of three stakes winners already this season including Saturday’s Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) scorer Mr Quickie, continued on the middle day of the Caulfield Cup carnival with two victories yesterday.
The Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m)-winning stallion started the day with Embolism winning a three-year-old ratings race, with trainer Danny O’Brien indicating the colt would step up to a Group race next start, before it was stablemate Sovereign Award who made it seven wins from 15 starts in the MRC Ladies’ Day Vase (Gr 3, 1600m), her first at stakes level.
The Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) looms large for Sovereign Award as O’Brien looks to capitalise on her strong form this campaign.
“We’ll think about it (the Empire Rose),” O’Brien said.
“We’ll possibly go back to Moonee Valley (for the Tesio Stakes) on Saturday week. She does love The Valley. But she’s in a rare vein of form so we certainly won’t be turning her out.”
Sovereign Award, a winner of her previous start at Moonee Valley, defeated stablemate Fabric (Ocean Park) by a long neck with the previously unbeaten Chaillot (Testa Rossa) another short-half head away in third.
O’Brien praised Jamie Kah for her connection to Sovereign Award.
“She’s really clicked with Jamie Kah. She’s had two rides on her now for two wins,” the trainer said.
“She has been a challenging mare so credit to everyone at home that they’ve persisted with her so far.
“You would have got long odds about her being a stakes winner 12 months ago but she’s won a Group 3 race here today so it’s fantastic.”
Kah said: “She’s a different horse when she doesn’t get cover.
“She got going at the 800 metres – she really wanted to win today. She was probably a little plain late but that was only because she wanted to get going a bit early.
“She’s just in form at the minute. She’s going super, she’s got a lot of talent. When she learns to drop the bridle a little bit more, I think she’ll be a really nice 2000-metre horse.”
Sovereign Award, a five-year-old mare who is from the first crop of Shamus Award who relocated from Widden Stud to Rosemont Stud in Victoria last year where he covered 149 mares, has earned $347,175 so far in her career.
She is one of two winners and the first at stakes level out of six-time winner Sovereign Charm (Show A Heart) whose third dam Sixpence (One Pound Sterling) is responsible for producing Western Australian stakes winner Potential (Southern Appeal).
Sovereign Award has an unraced three-year-old sister Seaflare in training with Will Clarken and a yearling colt, also by Shamus Award. She was not covered last year.
The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Swats That won the Thoroughbred Club on Saturday, while Shamus Award has also had Flying Award and Shamino placed at stakes level since August 1.
Overall, the Rosemont Stud stallion is now the sire of nine individual stakes winners and he stands for a fee of $19,800 (inc GST) this season.
Begg happy to play be his own rules with Nonconformist
Grahame Begg will resist the temptation to test progressive middle-distance four-year-old Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) over a longer distance despite the merit of his Coongy Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) success at Caulfield yesterday.
The experienced trainer plans to take the lightly–raced Nonconformist, who won the Alister Clark Stakes (Gr 2, 2040m) in March, to Flemington for the carnival and has designs on the Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on Derby Day.
By the late Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m)-winning sire Rebel Raider (Reset), Nonconformist has had an interrupted spring preparation, resuming with a placing over 1400 metres in late August before a seventh over 1700 metres at Caulfield on September 26.
Third-up from a spell, with regular jockey Jordan Childs remaining in the saddle yesterday, Nonconformist defeated dual Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Harlem (Champs Elysees) by a long neck.
Kiwia (Reset), the 2017 Coongy Cup winner, was another three lengths away in third.
The Coongy Cup win guaranteed Nonconformist a start in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) but Begg had no qualms in bypassing the race.
“It was a good watch, (Childs) gave him a perfect ride, presented at the right time. It was really good to get the horse back on track because he had a bit of a hiccup along the way and a lot of people bagged him after his last start,” Begg said.
“It’s good to get him back on a good track, it was the right race for him today with the weight concession he got for his rating.
“We will make our mind up (where we go next). There’s a couple of races at Flemington, I have got at the back of my mind a race like the Cantala.
“A bit of a freshen up, back to the mile. He certainly needed to win today to be able to do that, get his rating points up.
“We will see what happens.”
Trainer Rob Hickmott suggested Django Freeman (Campanologist), who ran fifth as the $4.20 third favourite behind Nonconformist ($3.30) and Al Galayel (Zoffany) ($4), would lower his expectations for the five-year-old and might start him in the Bendigo Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) on October 28.
The European import was later found to be lame in the near foreleg by Racing Victoria stewards, while Al Galayel also pulled up sore after the Coongy.
Homebred Nonconformist is the first of just two foals out of the three-time winner Good Thinking (Hold That Tiger), who died in January 2019, five months after having a colt by Master Of Design (Redoute’s Choice).
Nonconformist, who has had nine starts for four wins and four placing with prize-money earnings of $433,150, is from a family light on for stakes performers in his first three dams.
However, his fourth dam Dancing Maid (Sovereign Edition) is the dam of four-time Group winner Waikiki (Crested Wave) and Listed winner Happy Features (Famous Star). It is also the same dam line which produced this year’s New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Jennifer Eccles (Rip Van Winkle).
Rebel Raider, meanwhile, died 12 months ago as he was undertaking his ninth season at Wyndholm Park Stud in Victoria.
Headed by Nonconformist, Rebel Raider is also the sire of Hobart Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) winner Pretty Punk, SAJC Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 2030m) winner Waging War and the Listed Adelaide winner Wasabi Bob.