News

Personal wins Oaks as Rocha Clock claims inaugural Inglis Bracelet

5th Nov 2020

In February she placed in the G1 Blue Diamond over 1200m. Today Personal (Fastnet Rock) won the G1 VRC Oaks over 2500m.

In a remarkable show of intestinal fortitude, the 3YO outstayed her rivals to claim the blue riband event for the fillies in Melbourne Cup Week.

Trained by the Lindsay Park team of Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes, Personal backed up her strong second placing in Saturday’s traditional Oaks lead-up, the Wakeful Stakes, with a spectacular effort to claim today’s feature.

In doing so, Personal becomes the 53rd G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018.

In what has been a stunning start to her career, Personal has raced nine times which has included a third placing in the G1 Blue Diamond (1200m), a second placing in the G1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and today’s Oaks win.

Personal is a $640,000 Easter Yearling Sale buy for Coolmore’s Tom Magnier and BBA Ireland, from the draft of her breeder Cressfield.

She has now won $1.1m in earnings and joins Ole Kirk, September Run and Montefilia as 3YO Inglis graduates to have won at the highest level so far this season.

Personal’s racetrack success has come as no surprise to Cressfield’s Bruce Neill.

“She was very popular at the Inglis Easter Sale, very popular, she was the star filly of that sale,’’ Neill said.

“And she’s well and truly showing that in her performances on the track now as well.

“To place in a Blue Diamond and a Thousand Guineas and then to win an Oaks – all in only a handful of starts really – only the classy ones can do that but she’s got a lot of class this filly.’’

Magnier described Personal (pictured) as “a gorgeous filly with an outstanding pedigree who deserved a G1 win on her resume’’.

“Huge credit must go to Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes who presented her in perfect condition for the race today,’’ Magnier said.

“All the team loved her at the Easter Yearling Sale and we have a great bunch of owners in her.

“A massive congratulations to her breeder too in Bruce Neill, who has been a great supporter of Coolmore for a long time and deserves all the success he gets.’’

Personal’s G1 win came an hour after Rocha Clock - a mare that’s “always had the X Factor but has taken a while to display it’’ – won the inaugural $250,000 Inglis Bracelet at Flemington.

Rocha Clock (Pierro), a 4YO from the John O’Shea yard, defeated a quality field of fillies and mares in a performance that convinced her connections she was on target for future big-race success.

Rocha Clock’s win was her fifth from just 11 starts – the $200,000 Coolmore offering at the Easter Yearling Sale has now won more than $350,000.

Managing owner Jason Abrahams said the mare had always shown a lot of talent from the early days.

“But mentally she’s taken quite a while to get to this point but I think she showed today she’s taken a giant leap on that front,’’ Abrahams said.

Rocha Clock will likely return to Sydney and be stepped up to 2000m for the first time at her next start.

“This mare seems to have an affinity with Inglis – she ran second in the Inglis 3YO Guineas behind Dawn Passage and has come out today and won the inaugural Inglis Bracelet,’’ Abrahams said.

“We targeted this race because it was an Inglis race and it’s a race we’ll target again in the future.

“Why wouldn’t you? It’s great prizemoney in these Inglis races and while you’re still taking on quality opposition, it’s just a chance to get amongst some better prizemoney.’’

Rocha Clock, bred by Lynch Bages, defeated Re Edit (Camelot) and Game Of Thorns (Animal Kingdom) in today’s Inglis Bracelet, a new addition to the Inglis Race Series in 2020.

Coolmore’s Paddy Oman added: “Rocha Clock was a lovely yearling and we are delighted for Jason (Abrahams) who has been a great client of the farm for many years.

“She has continued the great run of Coolmore graduates this Spring carnival, following on from the win of September Run in the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Saturday.’’

O’Shea will receive a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars for being the winning trainer of an Inglis Race Series event.

The next race in the Inglis Race Series is the $500,000 Inglis Nursery for 2YOs, to be run at Randwick on Saturday December 12, a race which last year featured September Run and Wild Ruler who ran first and third in Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Also at Flemington today, Rich Enuff filly Dosh led in a 2YO Stakes trifecta for Inglis graduates when winning the G3 Ottawa Stakes.

On debut today, Dosh looked home at the 200m before drifting out badly over the concluding stages but she fought hard and narrowly held off Nice For What (Shalaa) and Butter Blonde (Choisir).

Dosh is a $155,000 Classic Yearling Sale purchase for her trainer Grahame Begg, from the draft of Glenlogan Park, who also bred the filly.

Today’s results continue a spectacular run of success for Inglis graduates at Stakes level this past week.

Following on from September Run and Fiesta (G3 Furphy Sprint) winning at Flemington on Saturday, Hudoo Magic (Choisir) claimed the G2 Turffontein Charity Mile in South Africa on Sunday morning, Ain’tnodeeldun (Dundeel) won the Listed TAB Trophy at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, moments before Rich Hips (Written Tycoon) was victorious in the G3 HKJC Stakes while across the Tasman, Premier graduate Fiscal Fantasy won the G3 Jarden Stakes at Ellerslie.