News

Premier Juveniles Aim Up For Diamond

26th Jan 2009

Melbourne Premier graduates Reward For Effort and Rostova (pictured) dominated their respective Blue Diamond Previews, before $2million colt Time Thief completed a great day of stakes success for Inglis graduates at Caulfield when taking the Zeditave Stakes on Monday.

ROSTOVA ($80,000 2008 Premier, 2f Testa Rossa-Space Talk) was made the early Blue Diamond favourite after a brilliant Listed win on debut at Flemington last November and she confirmed that rating with a dominant display in today's Blue Diamond Preview (LR 2yo F 1000m).

Trainer Steven Richards, who secured the filly at last year's Premier sale from the Yallambee Stud draft, revealed he felt the filly may have been a touch underdone for today's race and feels she will only improve further on this run.

“Spring is a bit different to the autumn, but I certainly didn't think she had gone backwards,” Richards said. “They were spruiking horses left right and centre, so I thought ‘oh well, let's see what we've got today.'

“We thought she was a possibility to get beat today because she wasn't quite there. We thought if they couldn't beat her today, they won't beat her.

“She's a pretty good filly.”

IRISH LIGHTS ($230,000 2008 Easter, 2f Fastnet Rock-Aspen Falls) completed an Inglis quinella with an eye-catching debut second.

Earlier, REWARD FOR EFFORT ($190,000 2008 Premier, 2c Exceed And Excel-Miss Prospect) clocked slightly quicker time than the fillies when taking out the Colts & Geldings division of the Preview (LR).

Offered for sale by Basinghall Farm and secured by Dynamic Syndications, Reward For Effort is a half-brother to million dollar earner Consular from the grand producer Miss Prospect (Rory's Jester), who has now had eight to race for eight winners.

Reward For Effort has firmed dramatically to the third line of Blue Diamond betting in some markets, while Rostova is now a dominant favourite.

The 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale will be held at Oaklands from March 1-4.

Later in the program, TIME THIEF ($2million 2007 Easter, 3c Redoute's Choice-Procrastinate) confirmed his rating as one of the country's most promising three-year-olds when taking the Listed Zeditave Stakes (1200m).

Trainer Lee Freedman had said Time Thief was well short of peak fitness, but he still proved too strong to claim his maiden stakes success and announce himself as a genuine contender for autumn riches.

“He's probably only about 80-85% fitness wise, so it was a big risk whether we ran him today or not, but there weren't too many other options,” Freedman said.

“We're glad to get through the race and get the win and he'll come on big time after that.”

Freedman now has his sights set on Group 1 races, which may include the MVRC Australia Stakes, before a decision is made whether to push up in distance to the 1600m Australian Guineas, or stay at 1200m and take on older horses in the Newmarket Handicap.

Time Thief led home an all Inglis trifecta in the Zeditave, with FRAVASHI ($550,000 2007 Easter, 3c Falbrav-Angelic Smile) producing a real eye-catcher first up off a lengthy break to grab second, while dual stakes winner FERNANDINA (P$15,000 June Weanling, 3g Desert Sun-Amelia Island) ran his usual honest race to hold down third.

This year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale (April 5-7) features half-relations to both Time Thief and Fravashi.

Coolmore Stud have a Galileo filly from Procrastinate, while Highgrove Stud have a half-brother to Fravashi among Redoute's Choice's stellar Easter draft.