News

Easter Graduates And Gai Enjoy Group One Glory

7th Mar 2015

If today’s results are anything to go by it is no surprise that Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse is a stalwart of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. Under the guidance of Gai, Easter graduates today took out a Group 1 at Flemington, and both a Group 1 and Listed race at Royal Randwick.

Off the back of a convincing win in the Group 3 VRC C S Hayes Stakes at Flemington last fortnight, Wandjina joins fellow Easter graduates Shamus Award, Mosheeen, Rock Classic, Miss Finland, Al Maher and Reset on the Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas honour roll.

A $1,000,000 purchase for James Harron Bloodstock on behalf of Dr Edmund & Belinda Bateman, Wandjina (Snitzel x La Bamba) saluted ahead of Alpine Eagle and Stratum Star to become the second Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas winner in as many years to be an Easter graduate by Champion sire Snitzel.

Today’s rider Brett Prebble was quick to credit Wandjina’s regular jockey Damien Oliver, commenting “Obviously Damien did all the work on him and he was unlucky he couldn't get off his suspension but it was my gain,"

"He's tough and he's fit and Gai said `make your own luck, go the front on him'," Prebble said.

The half-brother to Wandjina by Manhattan Rain is offered as Lot 8 from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Fellow Inglis Easter graduate Cosmic Endeavour won Gai’s other Group 1 for the day in the ATC Canterbury Stakes at Royal Randwick, taking her earnings to over $1,400,000 for owners Don and Judy Kelly.

A $230,000 purchase from the draft of Willow Park Stud and produced by renowned breeder Catherine Remond, Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor x Crevette) shot forward to the line to triumph over short-priced favourite Catkins and Criterion. After finishing runner-up to Danesiri in the Group 3 Guy Walter Stakes last week at Warwick Farm, Gai was confident about the mare’s Group 1 ability.

"This week, just every single day she kept improving," said Waterhouse.

"She's beaten the boys before and I knew she was cherry ripe and this was the time to run," Waterhouse said.

The half-brother to Cosmic Endeavour by So You Think is being offered from the draft of Southern Cross Breeders as Lot 345 at the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

The third Gai Waterhouse-trained Easter graduate to salute today, Nayeli, took out the Listed ATC Fireball Stakes ahead of Peeping and Kuro at Royal Randwick. Nayeli (More Than Ready x Wasimah), a $230,000 purchase by James Harron from the draft of Corrumbene Stud has now won three of her six starts for owners Greg and Donna Kolivos.

Other stakes results by Inglis graduates were Madam Gangster, Crafty Cruiser and Orient Line at Flemington today.

The Lee and Shannon Hope trained Madam Gangster (Al Maher x Domino Effect) was reserved at $25,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale. Today the four-year-old increased her winnings to over $250,000 by winning the Group 3 VRC Frances Tressady Stakes.

Crafty Cruiser (Good Journey x Sly One) sold at the Inglis Melbourne March Thoroughbred Sale for $1,500 from the draft of Ealing Park to trainer Bryce Stanaway. Today he increased his lifetime earnings to $648,791 by winning the Listed VRC Roy Higgins Quality.

Orient Line (Show A Heart x Zilzie) was an $80,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase from the draft of Glenlogan Park for trainer John Moloney. The three-year-old took out the VRC Saintly Handicap, taking his winnings to over $100,000.

There are 47 quality offerings from Wandjina’s sire Snitzel, 28 Lots by Cosmic Endeavour’s ill-fated sire Northern Meteor, and 30 Lots by More Than Ready, sire of Nayeli, on offer at the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, to be held on 7, 8 and 9 April.

View the online catalogue for the 2015 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale at inglis.com.au, download it on the Inglis Sales iPad App or request your hard-copy catalogue by sending an email to catalogue@inglis.com.au or call Inglis Newmarket on +61 (0)2 9399 7999.