Son of Dundeel holds all the Aces
Flemington’s Super Impose Stakes looms for Nick Ryan-trained colt
Emerging colt Red Aces (Dundeel) will put his Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) credentials on the line when he contests the Super Impose Stakes (Listed, 1800m) at Flemington on Saturday.
The Nick Ryan-trained three-year-old had rocketed into Derby favouritism after his gutsy win on his home track in the Byerley Handicap (1800m) earlier this year; only for his burgeoning reputation to take a minor dent when he resumed with a solid, if unspectacular performance – albeit over an unsuitable distance – in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (Gr 3, 1400m).
The $380,000 he paid to secure the colt from the Musk Creek draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Sale was the most Ryan has ever spent on a yearling, and the former star jockey is now hopeful that significant investment can deliver a coveted first Group 1 victory since he joined the training ranks.
After Red Aces blew out the cobwebs at Caulfield a fortnight ago, Ryan is adamant that Saturday’s contest and the step up to 1800 metres will bring out his best under in-form jockey Jamie Mott, who has been in the saddle for all three of the colt’s career starts.
“The Guineas Prelude was well short of his best distance and his run was better than it looked on paper,” said Ryan, who also saddles up impressive debut winner Savagery Vibe (Brutal) and Group 1-placed sprinter Johnny Rocker (Jukebox) in the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) and Gilgai Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) respectively at Flemington on Saturday.
“The promising thing was that he was almost alongside the winner shortly after the line, so he finished off strongly which was what we wanted to see from him first-up. Hopefully we get a more suitable tempo on Saturday and if we do, I think he’s ready to run a really strong race.
“Obviously he would have to show some improvement second-up for us to press onto the Derby, but he came through the run well and strips fitter so I’m confident he will be much more competitive on Saturday.
“We would then look to run him in the old Norman Robinson Stakes (Caulfield Classic) over 2000 metres on Caulfield Cup Day, which would give him another two weeks into the Derby. It would be very exciting for the owners and the stable to have a live chance in the Derby, but we have to get there first so I’m not getting too carried away just yet.”
Musk Creek’s farm manager Scott Williamson, who is holding the fort while proprietors David Kobritz and Teresa Poon are overseas, has already made arrangements to be at Flemington on Saturday, November 2, when he hopes Red Aces can justify the faith his breeders have long placed in him.
The boutique operation on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula boasts a proven track record of producing athletic colts by Arrowfield Stud’s resident stallion Dundeel (High Chaparral), and from the very start Williamson was convinced they had another ready-made racehorse on their hands.
“He was a lovely type from day dot,” Williamson told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He always had good strength, he moved extremely well and was quite a flashy looking type, so we knew he would turn heads at the sale because he presented so well. We’ve had some good success with the Dundeels we have bred, especially the colts.
“They’ve all been really nice types, and he was certainly no exception. Nick and his step-father [bloodstock agent Jeffrey ‘JJ’ Gordon] obviously had a very good opinion of him to pay that sort of money, but we were always confident he would sell well because he was the standout yearling in our draft that year.
“His pedigree page screams Derby and Oaks because he’s from the same family as Arapaho Miss and Miami Bound, who were both Oaks winners. So it’s definitely in his DNA and I’m sure once he gets out to the right sort of trips, he will really come into his own. After winning the Byerley he was guaranteed a start in the Derby, so it was a luxury for Nick to be able to work back from the Derby and have him peaking for his grand final.”
For several years now, Musk Creek have punched well above their weight with their carefully curated drafts invariably selling extremely well when they are presented at the yearling sales. It is a reputation that the small team takes great pride in, and Williamson would surely be the proudest man at Flemington if the farm were to produce a winner of one of Australia’s most historic and revered races.
“We’re a small boutique farm, we only breed 15 to 20 foals per year, so it’s very exciting for us to have a runner in a Group 1 race,” he said.
“If Red Aces runs well on Saturday and they head to the Derby, hopefully he can give us something to cheer on the big day. We’ve spent a bit of money on broodmares in recent years in the hope of producing yearlings capable of being competitive in some of the biggest races, so it’s very pleasing that we’re starting to see the results.”