News

Group 1 double for Inglis graduates at Randwick

1st Oct 2011

Secret Admirer and The Verminator notched up a Group 1 winning double for Inglis graduates on super Saturday at Randwick today, taking out the $500,000 ATC Epsom Handicap (1600m) and $400,000 ATC Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) respectively.

For the second year in a row SECRET ADMIRER (P$38,000 2009 Classic, 4m Dubawi-Secret Illusion) scored over the famous Randwick mile on the action packed program, adding today’s Group 1 ATC Epsom Handicap to her 2010 Group 1 ATC Flight Stakes win.

Coming off her first ever unplaced finish last week at Rosehill, connections remained confident Secret Admirer could become the first mare since La Neige in 1976 to win today’s $500,000 feature and the exciting galloper came with a barnstorming finish to score over fellow Inglis graduate Pinker Pinker.

“Outstanding, we really are just absolutely rapt,” trainer Grahame Begg said.

“It was a matter about timing and preparation.

“We didn’t give up about this week and we just had her right on the day.

“Today was her grand final in Sydney, and we’re now going to Melbourne”, Begg confirmed.

The daughter of Dubawi was originally offered for sale by Rothwell Park at the 2008 Inglis Australian Weanling & Breeding Stock Sale, where she was part of the TVN First Season Sire Showcase.

She was knocked down to John Freyer for $38,000 and re-offered by Milburn Creek at the 2009 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, but when bidding fell short of her reserve, the decision was made by John Muir to retain the filly to race.

Secret Admirer (pictured) has repaid Muir very handsomely with the lightly raced mare now a dual Group 1 winning miler of over $600,000 in prize money, all from just eight career starts.

THE VERMINATOR (P$37,500 2008 Classic, 5g Jeune-Fraar Side) later relished the 2400m of the Group 1 ATC Metropolitan to defeat fellow Chris Waller trained galloper Hawk Island, with Lamasery back in third.

The son of Jeune looks a very smart stayer in the making, showing a great turn of foot at the end of the mile and a half contest for jockey Craig Newitt, who was up from Melbourne for the ride.

“We didn’t have much of a plan, he drew the outside gate and Chris [Waller] said to just go forward and hope for a bit of luck,” Newitt said.

“But he was going to win a long long way out.

“When he rolled up outside Herculian Prince at the 600m I hadn’t event asked him for anything, then when we topped the rise he was full of running and he went to the line full of running,” Newitt added.

The Verminator was picked up from Lindsay Park Stud’s draft by John Smith’s KP Thoroughbreds at the 2007 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $17,000.

He was re-offered by Kulani Park at the 2008 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, but like Secret Admirer when bidding fell short of his reserve the decision was made by his vendor to retain the colt to race.

The Verminator is now the winner of seven races, with another nine placing’s from 24 career starts, accumulating over $500,000 for his connections.

Other Inglis Group winners today included:

FOXWEDGE ($925,000 2010 Easter, 3c Fastnet Rock-Forest Native) recorded another feature race win when holding off the late charge of fellow Inglis graduate Masthead to score in the Group 2 ATC Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

The honour role of today’s three-year-old sprint includes Foxwedge’s sire Fastnet Rock plus fellow Easter graduate Exceed And Excel, and John O’Shea is keen to follow the path of those past winners and head down to Melbourne.

“He wants to be a racehorse, he’s a genuine fella and it’s a pleasure to have him,” O’Shea said.

NEESON (P$65,000 2008 Easter II, 5g Mossman-Favorite Actress) then made it a Group 2 running double at Randwick for Easter graduates when taking out the ATC Premiere Stakes (1200m). Classic graduate Hurtle Myrtle made it another quinella for Inglis, running on well into second in the weight-for-age sprint.