News

Attrition gives Perks a remarkable day as Inglis graduates scoop the pool

14th Oct 2023

Talented entire Attrition (Churchill) ensured his breeder Harry Perks enjoyed “the day of a lifetime’’ when his G1 Toorak Handicap victory gave Perks a third Stakes winner for the day.

Perks thought he was having a good day after his Premier Yearling Sale duo Arctic Glamour (Frosted) and Air Assault (Justify) each secured valuable first black type wins with victory in the Listed Reginald Allen Quality at Randwick and Listed Hill Smith Stakes at Morphettville respectively.

But the main attraction was still to come, with the Mitch Freedman-trained Attrition scoring a maiden G1 win - for both horse and trainer - with a tenacious victory in the Toorak Hcp.

Perks was trackside at Caulfield to witness Attrition’s career-defining win.

“It’s absolutely fantastic, what an amazing day, to breed three Stakes winners in one day including a G1 is just as good as it gets,’’ Perks said.

“This has got to be my best day ever, or at the very least right up there.

“He’s such a fantastic horse Attrition. When he ran 2^nd in the [G1] Australian Guineas earlier in the year it was a huge run and really told us he was a G1 horse and we’d been waiting for him to do it again at G1 level and go one better and that’s what happened today. It gives you such a thrill.

“I own the mare Queen’s Kiss and with Churchill, I just thought the best and fastest son of Galileo, that’s the sort of horses I like to breed to.’’

Perks offered Attrition (pictured) through the Mill Park Stud draft at the Premier Yearling Sale, where Freedman bought him for $180,000.

Mill Park’s Chris Watson described today’s result as “enormous’’.

“It was the first year of the Churchills at the 2021 sales and he was right up there this guy, he was very well found and Mitch fell in love with him and was happy to pay top dollar for him,’’ Watson recalled.

“He always had a lot of quality about him and looked like he was going to be an elite 3YO which he was and now he’s winning a G1 at four.

“He was a really straight forward yearling for us, a typical 3YO style of horse, lovely athletic action, a vendor’s dream yearling to prep for sale.’’

Attrition became Mill Park’s 20^th G1 winner off the farm.

An emotional Freedman was ecstatic to become a G1-winning trainer.

“How good. It’s unbelievable,’’ the trainer said.

“This is what we get up so early in the mornings for. I’ve had three 2nds in Group 1s before today and I was just willing him to get over the line.

“We always knew he was up to this level, back to a Handicap…it’s just the best.’’

Perks’ other two Stakes winners Arctic Glamour and Air Assault were both similarly impressive.

Untapped filly Arctic Glamour’s Reginald Allen Quality win was a second career victory from just four starts for the 3YO.

She led in an Inglis grads’ quinella when defeating Joliestar.

Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou bought Arctic Glamour for $185,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Noorilim Park.

“It’s still all coming a bit quick for her, I was a bit worried mid race today when she travelled nowhere near as good as she did first up but that might be a bit of an indication that she’s looking for that bit further too,’’ Alexiou said.

“I think she beat a nice filly in the process today too. We’ll probably go to the [$1m G2] Callander-Presnell [at Randwick in two weeks], that will give us a good idea on her at a mile and we could then head down for the [G1] Thousand Guineas [at Caulfield on November 18].’’

And in Adelaide Air Assault (Justify) relished the step up to the 1800m of the Listed Hill Smith Stakes, careering away for the easiest of wins.

The Andrew Gluyas-trained 3YO had not raced beyond 1400m prior to today but showed he was a progressive middle-distance-and-beyond galloper, scoring a 3.3 length win.

The Hill Smith Stakes has proven a successful lead up to the G1 Victoria Derby in years past, a race Air Assault may now target.

Air Assault is also a graduate of the Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds.

Today was a spectacular one for Inglis graduates, who not only won the $20m The Everest (Think About It) and G1 Caulfield Guineas (Griff) but Stakes winners in three States and seven feature races in total.

Griff and Attrition became the 83^rd and 84^th G1-winning Inglis graduates since 2018.

At Randwick the speedy mare I Am Me (I Am Invincible) provided her owners a desirable dilemma following her tough on-speed win in the $2m G3 Sydney Stakes.

“We’ll sit down and analyse things now because she could stay here and go around in the $3m Giga Kick Stakes and run for a $1m bonus there or we could go down to the Manikato in Melbourne and give her a crack at that Group 1,’’ Adam Watt of Dynamic Syndications – who purchased I Am Me for $210,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale from the Segenhoe draft – said.

“This is a very emotional win, we’d planned for four or five months to be here on this day, I’m just surprised she ended up in this race and not The Everest because she’s one of the fastest mares to have ever graced Randwick. She’s a phenomenal mare, we’re bloody pumped.

“We paid $210,000 for her at the Inglis Premier Sale, she’s won $1.8m now and what’s she worth as a broodmare?’’

Bred by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum – who still part-owns the mare – I Am Me led in a trifecta of Inglis graduates in the Sydney Stakes, defeating Airman and Bella Nipotina.

And prolific winner She Dances (Street Boss) took her impressive overall tally to six wins from 12 starts with an effortless victory in the G3 Northwood Plume Stakes at Caulfield.

The 4YO has proven an outstanding investment for her ownership group – headed by Gerry Ryan – with today’s win taking her prizemoney tally to $650,000 and given the race was her first win at Stakes level, added considerable value to her as a broodmare prospect.

The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained She Dances is a $180,000 buy for John Foote at the Premier Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Blue Gum Farm.

She Dances is bred by Des Pope.