The James Cummings-prepared Alcyone ($4.60F) has put the writing on the wall for a promising preparation with a dominant display at Rosehill Gardens.
The four-year-old was too strong for Fiordland ($8) over the final stages, saluting by two and a quarter lengths, with Great Britain import Lovely Esteem ($15) and short neck back in third position.
It was the Teofilo gelding’s first run the Sydney way of going, after getting up to Group 2 level in Melbourne in previous campaigns. Out of the dual-Group 1 winning mare Purple, he is literally bred in the purple.
Former champion jockey and stable representative Darren Beadman marvelled at the size of his gelding and was equally impressed by the effort of the Godolphin team.
“You wouldn’t want to be buying him over the scales,” Beadman quipped.
“I was looking out for my tootsies when I was saddling him up, he’s got feet on him like dinner plates.
“She (Purple) was a great mare and Teofilo is a great sire of sprinters and stayers. A good training performance from everyone concerned.”
After picking up a couple of winners at the Grafton carnival during the week, Beadman believes it was the reason for jockey Hugh Bowman’s rich vein of form.
“Hughie should be doing a few more of these country freshen-ups going to Grafton getting his eye in. The (Godolphin) blue suits him when he rides that well.”
Bowman was equally awed by the scope of the rising five-year-old and is of the opinion that he can only get better.
“He’s a beautiful horse, he’s a bit of a handful though. He’s like a big raw baby,” Bowman said.
“He’s had a bit of experience and he’s certainly got an engine there, we saw that today. But I think there’s still a lot of improvement there, in fact he’d probably appreciate further.
“He’s just come here switched on and after two really nice trials a nice preparation is ahead I would imagine.”
