News

Easter: Everything You Ever Wanted

6th Mar 2010

Fastnet Rock colt Wanted capped an Inglis domination of the Flemington card today when he scored a much deserved win in the Group 1 $1Million Newmarket Handicap.

It gave Easter graduates five of the six races run at the rain-shortened Flemington Super Saturday meeting.

Today’s quintet brings to 48 the tally of stakes races won by Easter graduates in Australia this season, with Wanted being the sixth Group 1 winner.

Highlighting the strength of the 2010 Easter catalogue, which will be held at Newmarket from April 6-8, three of today's stakes winners boast siblings heading to next month's sale. *

WANTED ($800,000 2008 Easter, 3c Fastnet Rock-Fragmentation) has been one of the most consistent horses in training this season and he fully deserved his Group 1 breakthrough.

He was bred and sold by Ron Gilbert’s Highgrove Stud and was the most expensive yearling in Fastnet Rock’s first crop. It was also a great result for Widden Stud, who recently secured Wanted for stud duties upon the conclusion of his race career.

The day started on a positive note for Easter graduates when SHAAHEQ ($350,000 2009 Easter, 2f Redoute’s Choice-Damaschino) stitched up a tilt on the Golden Slipper by taking the G3 Breeders Stakes.

Arrowfield Stud will offer a full-sister to Shaaheq as Lot 366 at this year’s Easter Sale.

DISSOLVED ($300,000 2008 Easter, 3c Lonhro-Yarralumla) justified the faith the Hawkes stable have in him when proving too strong in the Listed MSS Security Stakes. The Lonhro colt was previously an Inglis Bonus Series winner at Sale last October.

CAPTAIN COLTISH ($800,000 2007 Easter, 4h Fusaichi Pegasus-Skates) broke through for his first stakes success in winning the Listed Schweppervescence Trophy. The Peter Moody trained entire races in the famous colours of Tony Santic and Coolmore Stud have two close relations heading to Easter.

Easter Session II has created a huge impression in its two years to date and flagbearer FAINT PERFUME (P$40,000 2008 Easter II, 3f Shamardal-Zona) resumed with a superb win in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes.

Assuming her customary role at the back of the field, Faint Perfume was able to outclass a very good field, despite the 1400m being well short of her best. Trainer Bart Cummings will now try to complete the VRC-AJC Oaks double when the filly heads to Sydney next month.

Both Faint Perfume and Wanted are in commanding positions to build on the brilliant record of Easter having supplied seven Champion three-year-olds in the past seven seasons.

Think Big Stud will offer a Pendragon half-brother to Faint Perfume as Lot 273 at Easter this year.

• A full list of catalogue updates will be documented in a following release