Tough stayer Steel Prince likely to get shot at second Melbourne Cup
Freedmans’ seven-year-old holds off fellow imports to take out the Geelong Cup
Steel Prince (Nathaniel), a horse identified as a three-year-old in Ireland by agent Justin Bahen, will be given his chance to run in a second Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) after downing two more recent European arrivals in the $400,000 Geelong Cup (Gr 3, 2400m).
The experienced stayer, who is trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, ran ninth in last year’s Melbourne Cup and is arguably in better form this time around, having filled third in the Naturalism Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) and the Bart Cummings (Gr 3, 2510m) prior to yesterday’s success.
“Credit to this horse, he is incredible. He has obviously been around a while and he keeps turning up,” Sam Freedman said of the seven-year-old.
“I said to Jye (McNeil, jockey), ‘If you’re right there at the top of the straight he is a horse that loves a dog fight’. He was too strong today.”
Freedman also confirmed a second Melbourne Cup tilt was on the agenda for Steel Prince, who won last year’s Andrew Ramsden (Listed, 2800m) when defeating Surprise Baby (Shocking).
“He has probably earnt another shot at it. The owners have been really patient with him,” he said.
“They haven’t pushed us to get him to the Melbourne Cup, they want to look after the horse first.
“We will see how he comes through it but that will be the plan at this stage.”
Steel Prince ($3.60 fav) held off new stablemate Le Don De Vie (Leroidesanimaux) ($8) by a long head with King Of Leogrance (Camelot) ($8.50) another one and a quarter lengths away in third.
“The second horse was really brave. His first start in Australia and he wouldn’t shirk the task,” Freedman said.
“If he gets in, we will go to the Cup. If not, there’s a 2600-metre (VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes) on the last day that could suit.”
Initially sold at the 2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 500,000gns when purchased by Dermot Farrington and Sand Spring Resources, Steel Prince (7 g Nathaniel – Steel Princess by Danehill) was later purchased privately by Hong Kong-based Australian agent Justin Bahen after the horse had had four starts in Ireland highlighted by a win over 11 furlongs at Limerick.
Steel Prince is out of the European Group 3-winning mare Steel Princess who has also produced Sarah Lynx (Montjeu), a Grade 1 winner in Canada, UK Group 3 winner Sugar Boy (Authorized) and the stakes-placed Influx (Golden Horn).
Classic success for eternal Redoute’s Choice
The remarkable deeds of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) as a sire continue on the track with his three-year-old son Confrontational, who hails from the champion stallion’s third–last crop, but the emerging stayer is set to bypass next week’s Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
Confrontational, who was backing up from his third placing behind the talented Embolism (Shamus Award) at Caulfield last week, demonstrated his staying credentials with his one-length victory in yesterday’s $140,000 Geelong Classic (RL, 2200m) to become his sire’s 175th individual stakes winner.
Recently appointed co-trainer Dean Krongold, who is in partnership with Jason Warren, in his post-race assessment of the performance said the three-year-old colt was no certainty to run in the Derby having raced every month since June.
The South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) in the autumn looms as a more likely target.
“Early doors, he did a lot wrong in his earlier start, so we had to do a lot of work with him at home,” Krongold said.
“Noel (Callow, jockey) has been terrific on this horse, trying to teach him to settle.
“Stepping up to the 2200 metres today, he’s relished it and really found the line well.
“The plan was to see him through today and put him away for the autumn, but we’ll have to sit down and maybe rethink.”
If connections did change their mind, a $110,000 late entry fee would need to be paid to nominate for the Victoria Derby by tomorrow.
Confrontational defeated the Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained Azaly (Dundeel) with maiden filly Vilanculos (Crowded House) in third place. The well-supported Ultimate Edition (Helmet), who won his previous start at Bendigo by five and a half lengths, finished sixth.
A $250,000 purchase by Warren Racing and Michael Hibbs’ Peregrine Bloodstock from Baramul Stud at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Confrontational (3 c ex Zastava by Encosta De Lago) has now won twice from eight starts and earned $132,775 in prize-money.
He is from middle-distance Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Zastava, who won twice over 2000 and 2100 metres, and he is also a half-brother to two other winners while his second dam Zastov (Zabeel) was placed in a Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) and Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick.
Zastava has a two-year-old sister to Confrontational named Stavanger, who brought $300,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. She is in training with Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes at Rosehill and wears the colours of prominent owner Rupert Legh.
Her next foal, a yearling colt by Exceed And Excel (Danehill), will be offered at the January Magic Millions sale and she is due to foal to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) next month.
Redoute’s Choice, meanwhile, has just 23 live foals in his last crop of now yearlings but, of course, his record as a sire of sires is almost unparalleled in Australia with his multiple Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun’s first foals born this year and C F Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Alabama Express currently undertaking his first season at stud at Yulong in Victoria.
Blinkers on do the trick for Wild Vixen in Listed sprint
Levi Kavanagh has his eyes set on enhancing the broodmare value of Wild Vixen (Foxwedge) after she added a second stakes victory to her record in yesterday’s $140,000 Black Pearl Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Geelong.
The young Flemington trainer has earmarked the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) on Melbourne Cup day for the four-year-old, who returned from a spell with the Listed success.
The daughter of Woodside Park Stud’s Foxwedge (Fastnet Rock), whose propensity to sire high-class fillies and mares is well-documented, raced just three times last autumn but scored an important win in the H C Nitschke Stakes (Listed, 1400m) and Kavanagh predicts the best is yet to come for his mare.
“Today was the first time with the blinkers and it obviously sharpened her up a little bit over the 1200 metres but she has really come into her own,” Kavanagh said.
“Mark Zahra rode her at Flemington (in May) and we just thought blinkers on next start would be ideal and sharpen her up a little bit more but she actually got sick after that and I tipped her out and pulled the pin on that preparation.
“I left them on to kick off this preparation with her.”
Wild Vixen, who was again ridden by Zahra, defeated Too Good Too Hard (All Too Hard) by a long neck with her Phillip Stokes-trained stablemate Music Bay (Choisir) in third.
“I purchased her out of Magic Millions, so the end goal is to hopefully get her up there, but next start we’re going to the HKJC fillies and mares race over 1400 on Cup Day. There’s improvement in the tank and she’s seemingly better at 1400 as well.”
Raced by some of the same owners as Geelong Cup winner Steel Prince in Brett Griffith and Tim Storey, Wild Vixen (4 m Foxwedge – Amy’s Glen by Shamardal), a $100,000 purchase by Kavanagh Racing at the 2018 Magic Millions Sale from the Tyreel Stud draft, has twice won at stakes level and has an overall record of 11 starts for four victories and three placings with earnings of $209,850.
She is a daughter of the three-time winner and stakes-placed mare Amy’s Glen (Shamardal), who was sold at the 2018 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale to Andrew Williams Bloodstock for $100,000. Wild Vixen’s second dam, Carlin (Scenic), was also stakes-placed in South Australia on two occasions.
Amy’s Glen has a yearling filly by Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock), but she died on October 3 without foaling again.
Foxwedge, who stands for a fee of $11,000 (inc GST) this year, is also the sire of three Group 1-winning mares, Volpe Veloce, Foxplay and Urban Fox, while he also has four Group 2 winners, a Group 3 winner and another 12 Listed winners.