News

Colts impress on a stellar day for Inglis at Caulfield

21st Oct 2023

Exciting sprinters Doull (Snitzel) and Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel), as well as G1 VRC Derby prospect Sunsets (Dundeel) advanced their credential for future stud careers with stirring black type victories on a productive day for Inglis graduates at Caulfield.

Four-year-old entire Doull (pictured), a $1.2 million purchase at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale of 2021 by the Rosemont Victorian Alliance and partners, fought back doggedly after being headed twice in the home straight to claim the G2 The McCafe Sprint (1000m).

And Arkansaw Kid, bought from last year’s Inglis Classic Sale for $190,000, charged into the clear through traffic in the straight to take the Listed Gothic Stakes (1200m), green-lighting plans to proceed to the renowned stallion-making G1 Flemington sprint, the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

On a day when four Inglis sale graduates won Stakes races at Caulfield, 3YO colt Sunsets, a $150,000 buy from the Inglis Premier Sale, broke through for black type success with his second victory from eight career starts in the G3 Caulfield Classic (2000m).

And Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun) stamped her G1 VRC Oaks credentials by taking the G3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m), extending her record to two wins and three placings from five outings.

Doull’s third career victory at his ninth start served as emphatic validation for a colt who turned many heads at the Easter Sale of 2021.

Bred by Shadwell Stud Australasia and sold through the Yarraman Park draft, he became the fifth-highest priced colt of the sale when knocked down to the Rosemont Victorian Alliance, Suman Hedge Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock following a spirited bidding duel.

And the Annabel Neasham-trained stallion’s win today exhibited plenty of the fortitude his buyers would have had hoped for.

Ridden by Michael Dee, Doull sat outside the leader, hit the front heading for home, then fought back tenaciously after being headed - first by Generation, and then by Spacewalk - to claim victory by a head.

Purchased in the first year of the Rosemont Victorian Alliance’s stallion-minded program of buying yearling colts, he’s the fifth foal of the Listed winning Shamardal mare Bulbula, a half-sister to G3 winning mare Khulaasa.

Such was Rosemont’s faith in the family, the Victorian stud also bought Bulbulba from Shadwell a few months after buying Doull, and will be offering Doull’s yearling full brother at next year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

“That win was awesome. Great reward for effort and patience,” said Rosemont principal Anthony Mithen.

“He was a stand-out colt at the Inglis Easter Sale, and obviously we had a lot of faith in him and went pretty hard to get him.

“And now, we’ve really got a beautiful, million-dollar yearling son of Snitzel, out of a beautiful female family, who’s a Group 2 winner on Caulfield Cup day. He’s announced himself as a genuine stallion prospect now. It’s very satisfying.

“It’s also satisfying because he’s got a great bunch of owners, some of whom have been with us since year one of the Victorian Alliance.”

Arkansaw Kid brought up a hat-trick of stakes wins for Inglis graduates at the Caulfield meeting by taking the Listed Gothic Stakes (1200m) for 3YOs in a tight finish, for his second win in six starts.

Trained by Lindsay Park’s Hayes Brothers, Arkansaw Kid settled fifth on the fence for retiring jockey Damien Oliver - riding on his last Caulfield Cup day - and powered to the line after bullocking into the clear inside the 200m, winning by a head from Inglis Easter filly Facile.

Arkansaw Kid was bought from the Sledmere Stud draft at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Lindsay Park Bloodstock. He was bred by Philippa Duncan, a loyal Inglis client since the early 1980s, who retained a share of the colt.

The son of Harry Angel is the sixth foal of winning Exceed And Excel mare Florabella, a daughter of G1 Coolmore Classic winning mare Shindig, and a half-sister to G1 Orr Stakes victor Shinzig and dual black type winner Strada.

Arkansaw Kid’s full brother has been nominated for the Sledmere draft at next year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, while the pair’s full sister sold for $250,000 at the same sale this year.

Originally from New Zealand, Duncan moved to Australia more than three decades ago to take a position partly created by the Hayes brothers’ legendary grandfather, trainer Colin Hayes.

“It’s a huge thrill,” Duncan said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a horse with the Hayes brothers, and I first came to Australia because of their grandfather. When they asked if I’d stay in the ownership - how could I say no? It’s just one of those things that was meant to be.”

Arkansaw Kid was also the first horse to earn a $200,000 Inglis Pink Bonus - for horses at least 75 percent female owned - by taking the Listed Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley a year ago tomorrow.

Coupled with that race’s $300,000 first prize, the win gave his owners a half-million dollar payday on that occasion and today’s win brings his earnings past the $887,000 mark.

Two races earlier, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained Inglis Premier Yearling Sale graduate Sunsets firmed significantly in G1 VRC Derby betting after causing a boilover in the G3 Caulfield Classic.

Facing the challenge of the outside gate from Caulfield’s 2000m start, the Dundeel colt had to sit outside the leader but under vigorous riding from John Allen held out the long odds-on favourite Riff Rocket to score by a half head.

Bred by John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, Sunsets was bought from the the Newhaven Park draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale by Group 1 Bloodstock and Busuttin Racing.

The Dundeel colt is the third foal of the G2-placed Fastnet Rock mare Waterloo Sunset, a daughter of G1 Flight Stakes winner Unearthly, and a half-sister to G1 Schweppes Oaks winner Invest.

Sunsets’ half-brother, by Golden Slipper winner Farnan, is nominated for the 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale

One race after Sunsets’ victory, Inglis Easter Yearling Sale filly Autumn Angel caused another upset in trumping another short-priced favourite, Tropical Squall, to win the G3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m).

The Peter Moody-Katherine Coleman trained 3YO sat fifth on the fence under Billy Egan before showing great tenacity in the straight, working into the clear at the 200m mark and doggedly chewing into Tropical Squall’s three-length lead to beat her by half a length.

Autumn Angel was a $230,000 Easter Sale buy for Dalziel Bloodstock and Moody Racing from the Arrowfield draft. The stud bred her with their major Japanese partner Katsumi Yoshida under their Jungle Pocket joint venture.

She’s now earned almost $320,000 from just five starts, for two wins and three placings, and is third-favourite for the $1 million VRC Oaks.

The fifth foal of quadruple stakes-victor Angel Of Mercy, Autumn Angel is now the third stakes-winner for Arrowfield’s second season sire The Autumn Sun.

Yoshida bought Angel Of Mercy in 2014, then saw her narrowly miss a Group 1 victory when second in Eagle Farm’s Tatt’s Tiara before commencing stud duties.

“She’s a lovely mare, and Autumn Angel was a lovely filly who’s always shown good potential,” said Arrowfield bloodstock manager Jon Freyer.

“Her trainers have handled her beautifully, and she obviously appreciated the step up in distance today. She showed great courage and tenacity to bullock through at the top of the straight and win well, which bodes well for the step up in distance for the Oaks.”

The win of Autumn Angel followed the success of another Arrowfield-sold Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate at Caulfield on Wednesday, this time in the shape of well-bred 4YO Muramasa (Deep Imapact).

A $500,000 purchase at Easter by Busuttin Racing, Muramasa’s tenacious win in the G3 Coongy Handicap over 2000m was his first at Stakes level.