Wild Ruler a shot in the arm for Glenlogan Park as they await Vaccine’s debut
Not A Single Doubt two-year-old filly ready for Gimcrack Stakes after Kenso trial win
Queensland’s Glenlogan Park will be out to win its second Sydney stakes races in as many weeks when Vaccine (Not A Single Doubt), the sole filly bought by the farm this year, runs in the ATC Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Randwick.
Promising three-year-old Wild Ruler (Snitzel), a colt Glenlogan shares ownership of with the China Horse Club-Newgate syndicate, boosted his Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) credentials with a first-up Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m) victory last Saturday and it will be Vaccine who steps out this weekend.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Vaccine, a $220,000 Magic Millions graduate, won a heat at the first official two-year-old barrier trials on the Kensington track last week and Glenlogan Park stud manager Steve Morley considers her to be leading hope in the Gimcrack.
“I only bought one filly for Glenlogan last season and that was Vaccine,” Morley said yesterday.
“Gai bought her on our behalf, but she was one we’d lined up beforehand and that was the only filly I selected and she looks like she’s got some talent.”
Vaccine was one of 14 fillies nominated for the Gimcrack, which also features the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Enthaar (Written Tycoon) who caught the eye of trial watchers when winning her heat in the fastest time of the day.
“Vaccine has pulled up well (from her trial) and she has worked well subsequently, so as of Sunday afternoon, all was on track.” he said.
“She would probably be on second and third line (of betting) behind the Written Tycoon filly. And, gee, isn’t he flying? There’s Ole Kirk and Pippie and then there’s this filly and she looks like a proper horse and she is the one everyone’s got to beat.”
Glenlogan Park also has a share in ATC Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) entrant Construct (I Am Invincible) while it also bred Gimcrack Stakes runner Miss Hoff (Flying Artie), a stablemate of Vaccine.
Reflecting on the performance of Wild Ruler, who was having his first run since a three-start autumn-winter campaign, the Heritage Stakes win was one that helped justify the high opinion Peter and Paul Snowden have for the colt.
“He was terrific, Wild Ruler. He is a proper horse, there’s no two ways about it. When he won on debut, he won the $500,000 Inglis Listed race, and the reports have always been really strong on him,” Morley said.
“As that prep developed, we finished behind Rothfire (in Queensland) and we were initially a little disappointed, but hindsight’s a good thing because Rothfire’s the top of the tree.
“He’s a really good horse and he looks to have come back in really great order.”
Meanwhile, Glenlogan principal Jon Haseler and Morley also share in the ownership of Star Turn (Star Witness) two-year-old colt Montana Flash, who won a barrier trial at Rosehill yesterday.
The Hawkes Racing-trained Montana Flash, a $550,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate who was also bred by Morley, came from last after beginning awkwardly and being slowly away to take out heat five over 900 metres by half a length.
“There’s plenty of positives to take out of the trial as he’s obviously got a really good motor and he’s going to have plenty of ability when he learns to put it all together.” was Morley’s assessment of Montara Flash’s trial.
“The reports from the Hawkes’ from the day that they first got him after breaking in have always been really positive.
“They have always said that they really liked the horse and that he’s got a good action, temperament and a good attitude.”
Morley has always taken a shine to Montana Flash from the time he was born and that was demonstrated when the Magic Millions buying bench was prepared to go past $500,000 to buy the colt by Vinery Stud’s first season sire.
“He is just a beautifully proportioned horse. He’s got plenty of scope and I would expect that he’ll mature out at that 16.1 height,” he said.
“He was a standout foal, a standout weanling and a superb yearling and it looks like he’s maintained that frame.
“Some horses will go through different phases of their life when they’re growing up, but at any point when you looked at that particular colt, he handled himself really well and looked the part at all times. You’ll go a long way to find a better looking horse.”