Extremely-talented colt Dwelling Affairs cemented his place on Coolmore Stud’s future stallion roster Oct. 30 when he produced a panoramic show to land the Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as Ascot Vale Stakes) (G1) at Flemington Racecourse.
In profitable the competition, the Coolmore-raced colt grew to become the tenth top-flight winner for Yarraman Park’s celebrity stallion I Am Invincible and second in the race following up the victory of the now Darley Stud-based sire Brazen Beau in 2014. Like Home Affairs, Brazen Beau was also saddled by Chris Waller and the duo make up an illustrious quintet of winners for the Sydney-based trainer in the time-honored Flemington race.
A winner of the Iron Jack Silver Slipper Stakes (G2) as a juvenile, Home Affairs opened his account as a 3-year-old with a triumphant return first-up in the Petaluma Heritage Stakes, a victory which earned the colt a shot at The Tab Everest Stakes a fortnight ago.
However, the 3-year-old’s hopes of landing the AUS$15 million contest were dashed before the gates even opened, with rain in Sydney leading to a soft track and, as a result, he came home a disappointing ninth in the Everest.
With track conditions rated a good 3, the stage was set for a big performance from the colt and, after breaking impressively from barrier 13, he never looked in any danger of letting his connections down.
As the sphere approached the 200-meter mark, McDonald pushed the button on Dwelling Affairs, unleashing his explosive flip of foot and rapidly put daylight between him and his rivals to submit an emphatic three-length victory over the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Bruckner. Final season’s Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) winner Artorius completed an additional half a size away in third.
McDonald mentioned that, though he had all the time rated the colt extremely, the way of yesterday’s victory even shocked him.
“That is what we got here for,” profitable jockey James McDonald mentioned. “To experience such a particular colt like this; he was electrical at this time. I could not consider on the furlong that I used to be to this point in entrance.
“He is an absolute magnificence. The temperament and thoughts, that’s what makes these good horses. To do it for these connections, who’re nice supporters of mine, and Sir Peter Vela is in as properly, they put some huge cash in and these are the outcomes we’re after.”
Waller was not at Flemington to look at the colt’s heroics, however McDonald was fast to applaud the coach’s glorious abilities in his absence.
“(Waller) is such a great coach,” McDonald instructed Racing.com.
Dwelling Affair’s triumph was actually a case of mission completed for homeowners Coolmore and the primary 12 months of their colt’s syndicate, the place they made the acutely aware alternative to focus on future stallion prospects on the yearling gross sales to race.
Given how a lot stallion’s promote for after their careers on the observe, the AUS$875,000 Coolmore paid Torryburn Stud for Dwelling Affairs ultimately 12 months’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale appears to be like good enterprise and Coolmore’s Tom Magnier instructed ANZ Bloodstock Information Oct. 29 he was excited on the prospect of the colt becoming a member of the operation’s Jerrys Plains base, the place he’ll stand alongside so many proficient stallion’s together with fellow Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Service provider Navy.
“What an unbelievable efficiency from an impressive colt who has been managed completely by Chris Waller and his staff. Congratulations to all of our companions on this extremely thrilling stallion prospect and to the Cornish household for breeding such a proficient horse,” mentioned Magnier.
“From the primary day we inspected Dwelling Affairs at Torryburn within the lead as much as the Easter Sale he has been an absolute skilled. We’re delighted for the complete staff at Yarraman Park and all of the connections of I Am Invincible. We now have been trying to find one in all his sons to face at Coolmore, and in Dwelling Affairs we now have a really thrilling prospect.
Of the 1200-meter contest, Magnier continued: “The Coolmore has developed into one of many nice sire-making races in Australia and, at this time, Dwelling Affairs has gained in extremely quick time, defeating a very high-class area.
“He joins the likes of profitable sires Encosta De Lago , Northern Meteor , Zoustar, Brazen Beau , Star Witness , and Flying Artie as a winner of this prestigious race and he’s won it in a faster time than all of them. It’s such a thrill, and we’re absolutely delighted.”
Home Affairs is out of three-time winning Flying Spur mare Miss Interiors (AUS), a half sister to dual group 1 winner and now Newgate Stud-based first-season sire Russian Revolution and group 3 scorer Turbo Miss.
The colt’s unraced Capitalist half brother—now named Wilbury—was purchased by James Harron Bloodstock for AUS$1.05 million at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale earlier this year. She has most recently produced a colt by Arrowfield Stud-based sire Dundeel and was covered by the same stallion last season.
Hitotsu Hands Maurice His First Australian Group 1 Winner
Hitotsu wins the Victoria Derby
John Messara’s belief that Japanese bloodlines can play an integral role in the future of the Australian breeding industry was repaid yesterday as the Arrowfield-bred colt Hitotsu produced a dominant performance to win the Penfolds VRC Derby (G1) at Flemington and, in doing so, handed Maurice his first Australian group 1 winner and second overall.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt had chartered an unconventional path into the group 1, having only broken his maiden at Donald Sept. 12 and came into the race having finished an eye-catching fifth in the Caulfield Guineas (G1), making him one of the few runners yet to be tested over further than a mile.
Maher said he decided to target the Derby after watching the colt hit the line strongly in the Guineas.
“He’s very clean-winded,” Maher told Racing.com. “With his run in the Guineas, we were happy to go to the Guineas off a maiden and (he) was probably the strongest on the line in the Guineas.
“We didn’t want to over-race him on the line because he is immature. We were happy with his fitness and here we are—fantastic.”
The 3-year-old was purchased by his former trainer Wendy Kelly for AUS$100,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last year and he ran three times as a juvenile for Kelly, including a tenth-placed finish in the Blue Diamond Stakes (G1), before being acquired by prominent owner Ozzie Kheir and other clients and sent to Maher and Eustace for his 3-year-old career.
Maher said a lot of the credit had to be paid to his bloodstock manager Will Bourne, who identified the colt as an exciting prospect from early on.
“We went down to have a look at him,” Maher said.
“He was fairly immature and that is probably why his program has developed the way it has.”
After breaking smartly from barrier six, John Allen tucked the colt away in 13th place and began to make his move in between runners nearing the turn. After finding daylight up the straight, the colt was able to let down impressively, sweeping past his rivals to post a length-and-three-quarter win over Alegron. Teewaters ran another solid race to finish a further two lengths away in third.
Fresh from steering State of Rest to victory in last weekend’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1), Allen was celebrating yet another top-flight victory yesterday and he was full of praise for the colt after his Derby effort and is also confident he has the cruising speed to be effective over a mile.
“We got into a nice position coming out of the straight, but the tempo just came back out of the race,” Allen said.
“There was a three-wide line which I was trying to get to because all the fancied ones seemed to be out there, but they came around me and kept me in, so I just had to ride for good luck around the corner.
“He was traveling that well, I just needed a gap, and once he got out the rest is history. He is a pretty talented horse. I have no doubt he is good enough to win a group 1 over a mile”
Meanwhile, Maher was also quick to heap praise on the jockey, who is quickly becoming an impenetrable force in the Australian riding ranks.
“Johnny Allen, he does a lot for us at the stable and there’s no better man to have around,” Maher said.
“To get a victory like this in the VRC Derby on what is arguably the biggest day of racing, it’s fantastic.”
“This is such a significant win for Arrowfield and for Maurice, and a wonderful sight to see,” Messara told ANZ Bloodstock News. “Hitotsu is the third group 1 winner this month from our yearling Class of 2020 after Profondo and Yearning, and he’s Maurice’s first Australian group 1 winner. It’s the kind of result we dream of every day at Arrowfield, and I’m thrilled for my whole team.”
The colt is out of the unraced mare Redoute’s Choice(AUS) mare Love Is Fickle, who in turn is a daughter of group 1 winner and top producer She’s A Meanie.
Love Is Fickle’s unraced 2-year-old filly by Shalaa —named Twelfth Night—was purchased by Mystery Downs and Valiant Stud for AUS$150,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale earlier in the year and last season she produced another filly by the Arrowfield Stud shuttle sire and is due to foal to Castelvecchio.
Second Elite Level Win for Colette
Twelve months on from her impressive victory in the Jack Golden Eagle at Rosehill, the James Cummings-trained Colette secured her second win at the highest level when she took out the Tab Empire Rose Stakes (G1) at Flemington after being given an inspired ride by Damien Oliver.
The Godolphin-owned 5-year-old signaled she was back to something like her best when taking out the Tristarc Stakes (G2) Oct. 16 and, after settling the mare at the rear of the field, Oliver weaved Colette through runners to beat group 1 winner Mystic Journey by a quarter of a length. Fellow top-flight winner Hungry Heart was a further neck away in third.
A winner of last year’s Star Australian Oaks (G1), Colette performed consistently well at the top level, including being narrowly beaten by Verry Elleegant in last season’s Chipping Norton Stakes (G1).
“That’s just about the ride of the season for mine,” Cummings said. “She’s a proper racehorse, isn’t she?”
“She had ‘follow me over a mile’ written all over her and a good track was no problem for her today and she weaved through them beautifully. (She) let down like a serious group 1 horse and I think she deserves all the accolades she gets.”
Originally on a Caulfield Cup (G1) path, the diversion away from the staying feature has reaped dividends with the potential of more to come this spring.
“She got herself back together when it didn’t all work out for her after the Caulfield Cup and the guys had her in great shape a fortnight ago for the Tristarc,” Cummings said.
“She’s been an absolutely beautiful mare for the stable and she’s well-loved. We’ll consider, it must be said, the seven-day back-up in the Mackinnon.”
The filly is out of the unraced Singspiel mare Libretto , who retired from broodmare duties last year—making her a three-quarter sister to listed winner Metastasio, while Libretto also produced Librettista (Elusive Quality )—the dam of listed winner Frenzified .
I’m Thunderstruck Flies Home in Golden Eagle
Following his last-start victory in the Hyland Race Colours Toorak Handicap (G1), there had been hype surrounding I’m Thunderstruck ‘s bid to snare victory in the lucrative Golden Eagle at Rosehill and yesterday he showed he deserved every bit of the fanfare when swooping late to narrowly clinch a win in the AUS$7.5 million contest.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained 4-year-old had to dig deep under Hugh Bowman, eventually grabbing the lead in the shadow of the winning post to beat Count De Rupee by a neck. Vangelic finished third, a further length and a half adrift.
Yesterday’s victory was the son of Shocking ‘s sixth from nine starts, which has seen him accrue AUS$5,005,150 in career prize money.
This latest win comes less than 15 months after the gelding broke his maiden at Caulfield Jan. 13 at the beginning of the year and Bowman said the 4-year-old possessed all the traits which could see him establish himself among the best milers in the country.
“I balanced him up and when I went for him, he found,” Bowman said.”Honestly, I was a passenger. He just took me to the line and I just made a point of not getting in his way and he delivered in spades.”
Mick Price—who was watching the win from Melbourne—said he was not surprised to see the gelding keep finding more under pressure in the closing stages of the contest.
“He always has to fight, doesn’t he? He would have won by further and cleaner and easier if he had had a nice run in the race, but always he’s had to fight his way out and then finish off,” Price said.
Raced by Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing, I’m Thunderstruck is one of two winners out of Primadonna Girl and he is the only stakes winner in three generations of his family.
In 2019 Primadonna Girl produced a full brother to I’m Thunderstruck, before producing a colt by Windsor Park shuttler Charm Spirit the following season and she has most recently been covered by Ocean Park.
