Spieth trial winners leads to ‘inundation’ of enquiries for Aquis stallion
Juveniles of first season sire again impress at yesterday’s official two-year-old hit-outs at Randwick
Aquis Farm’s first season sire Spieth (Thorn Park) was the star of yesterday morning’s much anticipated official two-year-old trials on Randwick’s Kensington track, producing two impressive winners in Victory Moments and Wild Botanica.
The filly, Wild Botanica, was Spieth’s first success story of the session, winning her heat over 855 metres by a half-length in the quickest time of the day (49.87 sec) to hold off the fast-finishing Okami Miss (Shalaa) and Pantonario (Not A Single Doubt), which was third.
In Heat 5 over the same distance, Victory Moments was a standout, hitting the line strongly to beat $1,150,000 I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) colt Zambezi River by a length and three-quarters (50.22 sec).
Trainer Kacy Fogden was delighted with both horses and now has designs on the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) and Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Randwick on October 2 with the talented pair.
“The idea was always to find out if he could stand up amongst the best of them and I think he has definitely done that.
“It wasn’t the easiest trial, he got caught wide and had to come back and to see him quicken the way he did, you don’t often see that in two-year-olds,” said Fogden.
As revealed in ANZ Bloodstock News earlier this month, following the colt’s trial win over stablemate Wild Botanica on September 6 at the Gold Coast, Fogden holds in high regard the flashy looking Victory Moments but, while she’s always been enamoured with the colt, the handler admitted that early on in his career she didn’t expect Victory Moments to be such an early type.
“He’s gorgeous, if you had looked at him four months ago you would think he needed time but he has just kept stepping up to the plate.
“He has such a beautiful rein on him. He’s really furnished,” she said.
The first foal of Tris, a Group 3-winning two-year-old by Street Boss (Street Cry), Victory Moments was retained to race by his Hong Kong-based breeder, Tony Fung.
Fogden was also thrilled with the effort of Wild Botanica to win her heat and has personal links to the filly having purchased her dam Colosimo (Foxwedge) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $55,000 from the Rosari Farm draft.
“It’s so nice when you buy them and see their progeny come through,” she said.
Wild Botanica is the first foal from the three-time winning mare, who has a colt by Written By (Written Tycoon) that sold for $70,000 to Binalong Bloodstock from the Willow Park draft at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale earlier this year, while Wild Botanica herself was picked up for just $4,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale by Upper Bloodstock.
With Fogden based in Queensland, Wild Botanica and Victory Moments are both being stabled with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable in Sydney and will remain there until their possible racing assignments early next month.
Their efforts yesterday immediately boosted breeder interest in Spieth with agents and breeders clambering to book mares to the Canungra-based stallion, who stands for a very reasonable fee of $8,000 plus GST.
Jonathan Davies, director of sales at Aquis Farm, said his phone had not stopped ringing after yesterday’s trial results.
“We have been inundated with a lot of inquiries from well respected breeders. It was incredible. It was very much the dream result to have them both go down to Sydney and win and we couldn’t be happier,” he said.
“Kacy has had a very high opinion of the Spieth’s for a couple of months now so it wasn’t a surprise, but it was just nice to see her judgement was vindicated with both going down and doing that.
“You never know what they are up against at this time of year. There were some expensive horses in there from very good stables.”
Since retiring to stud in 2018, and originally standing at Aquis’ former Murrurundi base, two-time Group 1 runner-up Spieth has covered mixed numbers of mares each season.
In his first year he attracted a book of 149, in year two 89 and then he had a drop in numbers to just 39 in year three. Now residing at Aquis’ Canungra base in Queensland, things are looking much more encouraging for him this season.
“Bookings have been fairly good for Spieth for a few months. There’s been a quiet confidence about the horse and we are lucky to have some really good shareholders that have supported him and hopefully they will be rewarded.
“He’s on target to cover over 100 mares and that number is going up every hour.”
It’s likely the momentum around Spieth will continue this Saturday as he is expected to have his first runner in the Pat O’Shea Plate (1000m), a feature two-year-old race at Toowoomba’s standalone meeting.
Fogden has a colt by the name of Acotango, who races for Loretta Fung in the Aquis colours, especially earmarked for the race. He ran fourth at the recent Gold Coast trials.
“I have always looked at him for that race. It’s a tricky track and he’s nimble enough for it,” said Fogden.
Merchant Navy two-year-olds also catch the eye
Elsewhere at yesterday’s official two-year-old trials, fellow first season sire Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) supplied the winner of Heat 8, while he also had a second and third-place finisher from his four starters.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Drisana, the first foal out of Group 3-winning mare Broadband (Sebring), won the juvenile fillies heat in a time of 50.30secs, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of Snitcat (Snitzel) when surging home over the final 400 metres.
The filly was a $125,000 purchase from the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale last year.
Ciaron Maher trained dual hemisphere Group 1-winning Coolmore stallion Merchant Navy and assistant trainer Jack Bruce from the Maher and David Eustace stable was pleased with the effort of Calico Jack in Heat 7, as he chased home Resonator (Brazen Beau) to finish a length second to that rival, just head of Master Showman (Snitzel), a brother to four-time Group 1 winner Trapeze Artist.
“All the Merchant Navys are very cruisey customers and he is no different. He is laid back and eats very well,” Bruce said.
“He’s a horse that we didn’t think initially would be here early. He’s probably more quality and more of an autumn type. He’s trialled particularly well there.
“I’m sure he is only going to improve with today’s outing and if he’s not a horse for two weeks’ time, he’s a horse for the Slipper.”
Calico Jack was a $425,000 buy for Ciaron Maher from the Cressfield draft at this year’s Magic Magic Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is out of the Listed-placed, British-bred mare Shrill (Shamardal), a half-sister to Group 2 winners Silkwood (Singspiel) and Silent Honor (Sunday Silence).
Coolangatta Gimcrack-bound
Calico Jack was one of two runners at yesterday’s Kensington trials for Maher and Eustace, whose Written Tycoon (Iglesia) filly Coolangatta soared to an impressive three-length win over American Pharoah’s (Pioneerof The Nile) Wild Calm, who worked home well from a slow start in Heat 4. The winning time was 50.11 sec.
The training operation prepared last year’s early-season boom two-year-old Enthaar, also by Written Tycoon, to win the Gimcrack Stakes and present as the early favourite for the Golden Slipper after also claiming the Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m), but was spelled after running sixth in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Bruce said they will also target the Gimcrack with this filly.
“She is very much in a similar mould (to Enthaar). She’s a very natural filly. She has come up from Melbourne and did a very good job down there,” Bruce said.
“She’s a very naturally fast filly and as you saw today she did it all on her ear, quite comfortably, and Ciaron and David have identified her and she will head there (to the Gimcrack Stakes).”
Racing in the silks of Ozzie Kheir, Coolangatta is out of More Than Ready (Southern Halo) mare Piping Hot, herself a daughter of Group 2 winner Ribe (Danehill), who in turn is the dam of Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reaan (Hussonet).
High-priced Psychiatrist one to remember
Four million-dollar two-year-olds stepped out at the public trials yesterday, with the Aquis-owned Psychiatrist (Exceed And Excel), a $1.05 million buy from the Inglis Easter yearling sale winning Heat 3 for the colts and geldings.
In heading home a Tony Fung-owned quinella, the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained colt defeated Annabel Neasham’s Narnia (Not A Single Doubt) by a head, with Capitalist (Written Tycoon) colt One Reason running from last entering the straight to third at the post, beaten by one and a half lengths.
One of four lots to make $1 million plus at the Easter sale from the Vinery Stud draft, Psychiatrist is the first foal out of Sanity (Lonhro), a sister to Group 3 winner Trim who, in turn, is the dam of Group 3 winner Manicure (Exceed And Excel) as well as Stubborn, dam of Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Gatting (Hard Spun).
Waterhouse and Bott to the fore
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are accustomed to preparing early-season juvenile performers, and yesterday they sent out a pair of two-year-old trial winners.
The opening heat for the colts saw Tulloch Lodge provide the quinella, with Kibou (Maurice) running out a three-and-a-quarter-length winner over Ferrari Man (Menari), one of just 19 first-crop foals for Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Menari (Snitzel).
Bott said their son of Maurice (Screen Hero) would now target the curtain-raising juvenile stakes race on October 2.
“He’s a beautiful horse and has a lot of natural ability there,” Bott said.
“On breeding, you would suggest that he’d get over a little bit further and be a little bit more of a later maturer, but the horse has got so much natural speed, as we saw today.
“There was a bit of improvement there, he was a bit awkward around the turn, but I loved the way he balanced up and had that sustained speed and was able to quicken off that.”
Kibou was a $170,000 buy for Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds in conjunction with his trainers from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Inglis Classic Sale.
He is out of Fortiche (Any Given Saturday), a winning half-sister to dual Group 2 winner Mic Mac (Statue Of Liberty).