News

3YOs shine as key pedigree updates on Premier eve add to sale excitement

26th Feb 2022

A pair of talented Inglis-offered 3YOs announced themselves as key carnival contenders at Caulfield today with strong wins ahead of future big-race targets.

The G1 Australian Derby on Day 1 of The Championships at Randwick in April looms as the primary goal for talented 3YO Castlereagh Kid (Snitzel), a strong winner of today’s G2 Autumn Classic.

An Easter Yearling Sale offering of John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud – who also bred the galloper - Castlereagh Kid is forging an imposing career record, which now sits at 5:3.2.0 after today’s success.

“He’s such a tough 3YO. He could have gone another lap and they wouldn’t have run him down,’’ winning co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said.

“He’s building a very powerful record, that’s three in a row now and he’s got another win in store – cop the tip everybody – at Flemington in I think two weeks and then he’ll be back to Sydney for an Australian Derby.’’

Waterhouse is in Melbourne for the Premier Yearling Sale, which begins at Oaklands at 10am tomorrow.

She started today at Oaklands doing final inspections with her team before heading to Caulfield for a successful day for the stable.

“There are some lovely horses in the catalogue, I can’t wait to get there tomorrow and start bidding,’’ Waterhouse said of the Premier Sale.

“We have our list and the team has had multiple looks at a lot of horses so we just have to be strong on the bidding now and try and take a few lovely horses home with us.’’

Meanwhile Seymour Bloodstock continued their recent affinity with Inglis-purchased progeny of Xtravagant when Lavish Girl (pictured) proved too strong in the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes.

The 3YO filly carried the same colours, is by the same stallion and raced by the same majority ownership group as star 2YO filly Xtravagant Star, who won the $2m Inglis Millennium three weeks ago.

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace bought Lavish Girl for $110,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale from her breeder Newhaven Park Stud.

She has now won more than $300,000 and is a very valuable commodity.

Lavish Girl is raced by the Xtravagant Star connections of Darren Thomas’ Seymour Bloodstock and Mark Pilkington among others.

“She’s a bonny little filly,’’ winning co-trainer Maher said.

“Credit to the Newhaven Park team, Xtravagant is a stallion going places and this filly is leading the way.’’

Newhaven has a draft of 12 yearlings to offer at the Premier Yearling Sale.

To view the catalogue, CLICK HERE.

There were also multiple significant pedigree updates for the Premier Sale from today’s races.

Lot 4 tomorrow morning is an Epaulette half brother (ex Juliet’s Princess) to Forbidden Love, the G1 winner who today claimed a fourth black type victory in the G2 Guy Walter Stakes at Randwick.

The colt will be offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds and will enter the ring shortly after the 10am sale start time.

Epaulette today sired the winner of the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, Daumier for Anthony and Sam Freedman.

And the Caulfield card kicked off with a tough front-running performance from talented 3YO Finance Tycoon (Written Tycoon) winning the G3 Zeditave Stakes for Danny O’Brien.

Eureka Stud is offering his Encryption half brother (ex Darook Park) as lot 454 at Premier, which will see him enter the ring on Monday.

In Adelaide today, 7YO Canford (Canford Cliffs) enjoyed a breakthrough Stakes victory with success in the G3 Lord Reims Stakes at Morphettville.

Canford has proven a great return on investment for his trainer Ryan Balfour, who bought the horse for $62,500 at the Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Blue Gum Farm.

Today’s win took Canford’s earnings to more than $300,000.

Blue Gum will offer a draft of 25 at Premier.