News

GROUP ONE GLORY FOR INGLIS GRADUATES

22nd Feb 2008

If you want to win a Group One race then it makes sense to buy at a William Inglis & Son Limited yearling sale. That’s the clear message after the two Group One contests at Caulfield both fell to Inglis graduates on Saturday.

WEEKEND HUSSLER ($80,000 Premier Sale, 3 g Hussonet - Weekend Beauty) justified the pre-race hype of trainer Ross McDonald with an amazingly smooth victory in the Ultra Tune Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1). Always travelling strongly, Weekend Hussler turned one of the most competitive sprint races in the Southern Hemisphere into a one-horse affair in the straight, sprinting to the lead and win easing down over Magnus.

“He’s a freak, he really is,” a jubilant McDonald said afterwards, surrounded by hordes of winning connections, for many Weekend Hussler is their first taste of racehorse ownership.

Weekend Hussler advances his record to six wins from eight starts and earnings of $1,032,900.

The very next race resulted in a brilliant victory for REAAN ($375,000 Australian Easter yearling sale, 2 c Hussonet – Ribe) in the Arrowfield Stud sponsored Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1). Reaan came from well back into the straight to finish too well for his rivals at the end of the 1200m, defeating stablemate All American (2 c Red Ransom) with Burgeis ($160,000 Australian Easter yearling, 2 f Catbird – Grand Performance) close up third and the first filly home.

Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum has been a loyal supporter of the Australian Easter Yearling sale so it is wonderful to see him winning the race for the third time. His last winner Nadeem also an Easter graduate and now a stallion at Darley stud. A full-sister to Reaan is catalogued as lot 333 in the Australian Easter Yearling sale and following today’s victory by her brother is sure to be one of many highlights in what looks an outstanding catalogue for Australia’s benchmark yearling sale. The Group win by Zarita earlier on the Caulfield card also highlights her yearling half-brother by Pins that is lot 124 in the Australian Easter Yearling sale.

Arrowfield Stud stand Hussonet (USA) so on a day of their sponsorship support of the industry it was appropriate that they should share in the spoils too, especially so as they bred Weekend Hussler in partnership and consigned him for sale in Melbourne.

“We’re delighted to see Weekend Hussler stamp himself as the one of the best horses in the country and even more delighted that we have 23 yearlings by Hussonet to sell at the Premier Sale in two weeks time.” said William Inglis & Son Melbourne Director Peter Heagney.

The Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale commences at Oaklands Junction on March 2 and all yearlings catalogued are eligible for the $2.5 million Inglis graduates race series.