Juvenile racing begins at Royal Randwick on TAB Epsom Day and again it’s the new sires of Arrowfield Stud who highlighting both the Arrowfield sponsored Breeders’ Plate and Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes.
Arrowfield heads the first season sires with their Japanese Horse of The Year Maurice having his $10 chance Maurice’s Medad fancied in the Gr3 Arrowfield Breeder’s Plate of 1000m for 2yo males at 56kg
A $250,000 Bjorn Baker Racing buy from Vinery Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Maurice’s Medad is out of a half-sister to top new sire Press Statement and Gr1 winner Pressday.
To be ridden by the in-form Rachael King, Maurice’s Medad will jump from barrier six, carrying the set weight of 56kg, and won at the Inglis 2YO Barrier Trials in time of 50.65sec for 845 metres.
Also by Maurice, in the Gr3 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes for 2yo filles, also at 1000m and 56kg set weights, is the Lee Curtis trained I Love Lucy at $26 having won a Barrier Trial of 735m in 44.07sec.
Starting from barrier 10 and with the services of Nash Rawiller, I Love Lucy was $150,000 buy from Arrowfield being from a Flying Spur mare, a half-sister to dam of Gr2 winner Gypsy Diamond.
Arrowfield’s first season Champion English-French 2YO Colt Shalaa has Shaquero in the Breeders’ Plate, and is trained by champion Chris Waller, ridden by James McDonald starting from gate five.
In also having a barrier trial win, Shaquero is at $6.50 and was purchase by Mulcaster Bloodstock for S160,000 at the MM Gold Coast Yearlings, being the family of Cox Plate winning sire Shamus Award.
This is the season of Newgate Farm with many of their young sires having first time runners, with the Champion 2YO Colt Capitalist having Kalashnikov as $2.50 favourite for the Breeders’ Plate.
As this year’s leading First Season Sire at the major yearling sales and trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Kalashnikov will start from barrier 11, and has the horsemanship of Hugh Bowman.
A $600,000 MM Gold Coast Yearling purchase by James Herron Bloodstock, Kalashnikov’s winning Flying Spur dam is half-sister to Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way, and the dam of Thermal Current.
Newgate’s duel Gr1 winner Extreme Choice has Avaricious at $16 for the Gimcrack Stakes trained by Lee Curtis and will be ridden by Brendan Avdulla, having an ideal draw in barrier three.
Being a $200,000 buy from Sledmere at the MM Gold Coast Sale, Avaricious is from the winning Super Saver mare Zenon, half-sister to stakes winner I Have No Fear, from top-line 2yo Countess Christie.
Randwick co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have the $19 chance Miss Hoff in the Gimcrack Stakes to be ridden by Sam Clipperton, starting from barrier 11, and ran second at the Inglis 2YO Trials.
A $120,000 graduate of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Champion 3YO Colt Flying Artie, Miss Hoff’s winning Falvelon dam is half-sister to Australasian Oaks winner Irish Darling, dam of sire Fighting Sun.
Newgate’s slick sprinting sire Super One has Stariks at $31 for the Breeders’ Plate, being trained by Lee Curtis ridden by Tim Clark, finishing third to Maurice’s Medad at the Inglis 2YO Trials.
From the draft of Yarraman Park at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, he was bought by Lee Cutis for $37,500, being from the winning stakes placed Rock of Gibraltar mare Tariks.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Astrologer is at $16 for the Breeders’ Plate having won his 845m heat in 51.20sec at the Inglis 2YO Trials, and will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, having drawn the rail.
By Vinery Stud’s handsome sprinter Star Turn, he was a $300,000 purchase by James Herron at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with his Fastnet Rock dam being half-sister to Gr3 winner Crystal Dreamer.
Trained by Daili Chujo at Murwillumbah is the $250 Gimcrack chance Emmy Vein, for James Innes, being a $15,000 Classic Yearling buy, the family of Shadow Hero by European Champion 2YO Belardo.
Godolphin’s ‘Met Mile’ winner Frosted is Leading First Season Sire with The Globe being third in the Darley Spring Preview, and in Flemington’s Maribyrnong Trial it’s Ingratiating at $11 and Cloudy $15.
Godolphin’s Brazen Beau was a short-time leader as Leading 2YO Sire with General Beau winning the Darley Spring Preview, and is now $2.50 favourite for the Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington.
Holding the reins as Leading 2YO sire is Flying Spur’s Caulfield Sprint winning son Jet Spur with Mishani Scandal winning the Pat O’Shea Plate at Toowoomba, trained by Les Ross at Eagle Farm.