Valley vision comes up trumps for Acromantula
Acromantula (Written Tycoon) went within a whisker of breaking the Moonee Valley 1000-metre track record as a positive ride from Craig Williams saw the Western Australian claim an all-the-way win in the Carlyon Stakes (Listed, 1000m).
Trainers Daniel and Ben Pearce had targeted the Moonee Valley stakes contest as the ideal late winter/early spring feature for Acromantula, who has won seven races over 1000 metres in his home state.
He was placed third in a 1000-metre race at Moonee Valley two weeks ago, against similar opposition to that faced yesterday. Williams assumed the ride for the Carlyon and took the initiative when holding out his rivals at the start.
They never really caught sight of Acromantula from that point. He put on a bold front-running display and on the line held a length margin from Hypothetical (Pride Of Dubai), with Ashford Street (Moshe) filling third.
The six-year-old gelding stopped the clock at 57.05 seconds, just 0.21 of a second shy of the track record set by Inundation (Headwater) last December.
It was the first stakes success in Victoria for the Pearces at their 12th attempt, with previous trips east yielding seven minor placings in Group races.
“We have had a couple of close calls here in Melbourne, so it’s good to get one over the line. He’s a quick horse and he was able to use that as his asset today,” Daniel Pearce said.
There are a host of further sprint races which could fall on Acromantula’s radar, including the McEwen Stakes (Gr 2, 1000m) on September 9 and even the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) later in September, both of which are at the same track and over the same distance as Saturday’s win.
“We’ve got a bit of thinking to do. He was really well suited today at set weights and penalties and the 1000 metres looks to be his pet distance, but we will give it some serious thought,” Pearce said.
Bred and retained by Alan Olive of Gold Front Thoroughbreds, Acromantula becomes the 53rd stakes winner for his Yulong-based sire Written Tycoon (Iglesia). He is one of six winners out of Listed winner For Your Eyes Only (Bletchley Park), who produced an All Too Hard (Casino Prince) colt last year. She was not served last breeding season.