With American billionaire B Wayne Hughes enjoying another Breeders’ Cup triumph, Epic Rant is set is to be the next horse flying Spendthrift’s flag in Australia.
Beholder carried Hughes’ colours to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Saturday morning Australian time.
Beholder defeated the previously unbeaten Songbird to claim her 11th and final Group One victory before being retired to Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky where she will be served by Uncle Mo.
One week later, Hughes’s increasing footprint in Australian racing looks set to expand when the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Epic Rant makes his debut in the two-year-old handicap (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Hughes has tasted Australian stakes success with the Hawkes Racing-trained Swear who won the Group Three Ming Dynasty Quality and finished fifth in the Victoria Derby on October 29.
The majority of Hughes-owned horses are trained by the Hawkes including last-start winner Cana who is entered in Saturday’s 1300m benchmark handicap at Rosehill.
But the entrepreneur has had links to Waterhouse, buying Hampton Court who she trained and Hughes now stands at his Spendthrift’s stud farm in Victoria.
And Waterhouse and Bott train three-year-old colt Paradise Cove who has failed to fire in two provincial starts.
Stablemate Epic Rant was a $500,000 yearling at the Magic Millions sale in January.
“He’s a really sharp precocious two-year-old and we like what we’re seeing to date from him,” Bott told AAP.
“He just keeps improving.”
Bott said the Snitzel colt’s winning trial at Warwick Farm over 800m on Friday had impressed the stable in what was his second public outing.
“In his first trial he did a couple of things wrong but he showed good improvement from that and we like the direction he’s heading in,” Bott said.
“He’s one that’s shown early ability and no doubt he will continue to improve.
“Hopefully he can put his best foot forward on Saturday.”
