World class!
Think About It (So You Think) cemented his position as Australia’s newest sprinting star as he produced a scintillating display to win The Everest (1200m) at Randwick yesterday.
The five-year-old’s triumph also markedly increased the chances of Coolmore’s So You Think (High Chaparral) being crowned Australia’s Champion Sire for the first time at the end of the season. The stallion, who has finished runner-up for the past two years, was propelled to the top of the general sires’ table yesterday, with the earnings now standing at $10,781,598, which is $1,411,462 in front of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), his nearest rival.
Trained by Joe Pride and raced by Jamie Walters’ Proven Thoroughbreds, the gelding was representing Newgate Farm and GPI in the $20 million race and, after coming in off the back an unbeaten streak that stretched back to January 2023, he was sent off $4.40 favourite.
Ridden by regular rider Sam Clipperton, the son of So You Think (High Chaparral) was prominent, racing in fourth, in the early stages. The gelding hit the front inside the 200 metres, and as the Peter Moody-trained I Wish I Win (Savabeel) made his bid for the race, Think About It picked up again, show his blistering turn of foot to beat I Wish I Win by a quarter of a length.
Think About It’s stablemate Private Eye (Al Maher), who is also raced by Proven Thoroughbreds, ran another gallant race to finish another quarter of a length further back in third.
Last season’s Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner In Secret (I Am Invincible) was another quarter of a length back in third, finishing a neck ahead of her James Cummings-trained stablemate Cylinder (Exceed And Excel).
Pride admitted to having felt the pressure in the run-up to the world’s richest turf race, but said he would now try and enjoy the moment.
“I don’t think I’ll feel pressure anymore in any race after that,” said Pride. “You feel like Edmund Hiliary, once you climb Mount Everest, what do you do after that? I’d love to climb it again, but it’s not going to feel as hard next time.
“[It has been] the slowest week of my life. I thought it would rush by and it has been a really slow week that felt like when you’re in a dream and you’re running, it felt like that all week.
“It was a week I promised myself I was going to try to enjoy, and I can’t say I did, but I’ll enjoy this.”
Pride said he had made no future plans for Think About It, but revealed the $3 million Champions Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington on November 11 or the VRC Champions Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) on the same day, could now be on the agenda.
Beaten only once in his 12-start career, Think About It’s record makes for impressive reading and yesterday’s victory saw his total career earning swell comfortably over the $10 million mark, with his haul now sitting at $10,424,550.
Clipperton was enjoying his ninth win on the five-year-old and he said when he crossed the line to win in the Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) last-start, he was confident the horse would have no issues scaling The Everest.
“I had such a nice run in the race and travelled so well. This stuff doesn’t happen, it just went too perfect. I guess that’s what very good horses do, maybe even champions, they eliminate the opposition,” said the jockey
“I’m just so privileged to be in a position of riding this horse. I can’t believe it. I was visualising this since he won the Premiere, I just thought he’s got too many gears they won’t beat him. I couldn’t say that out loud but that’s what I felt and he’s just proven me right.”
Purchased by Proven Thoroughbreds and his trainer for $70,000 from the Newgate Farm draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2020, the dual Group 1 winner is out of the winning Flying Spur (Danehill) mare Tiare, herself a half-sister to Group 2 scorer Keen Array (Bel Esprit).
In 2021, Tiare produced a colt by So You Think’s barnmate Pierro (Lonhro), before foaling a colt by another Coolmore stallion, Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) and was covered by Grenville’s Zululand (Fastnet Rock) last November.
Think About It is one of 11 top-flight winners for So You Think, whose total stakes-winning tally stands at 54. The son of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) commands a fee of $99,000 (inc GST).