News

Growing Empire stars again as Inglis graduates excel

14th Sep 2024

A $20m Everest, a $10m Golden Eagle, a G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and a G1 Flight Stakes are among the spring targets of a quartet of Inglis graduates who all enjoyed Stakes success today.

Explosive colt Growing Empire (Zoustar) continued his unbeaten spring with another dominant performance to take out the Listed Poseidon Stakes at Flemington.

Racing in the famous Yulong colours – and with his owner Mr Zhang and his family trackside – Growing Empire made it four wins from five starts to assert himself one of the leading 3YOs of his generation.

Such was the dominance of the performance, the 3YO firmed into a $3.50 favourite with Ladbrokes for his spring target, the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in November, and into $10 for the $20m The Everest.

A decision on whether the exciting Ciaron Maher-trained colt contests the Everest – a race in which his owner Yulong owns a slot – will be made in coming weeks.

“We’ll sit down with the Yulong team and have a chat, they do have a slot and 3YOs do have a good record in the Everest and he is a very progressive colt,’’ Maher said.

“The Coolmore was the aim but there have been horses like Home Affairs who ran in an Everest then won the Coolmore. We’ll see how he pulls up but it’s great that he’s ticked off the straight box today, he’s progressing with each start.’’

Bred by Pat Hodgens, Neil Werrett and Steve McCann, Growing Empire (pictured) is a $700,000 Easter Yearling Sale buy for Yulong from the Vinery Stud draft.

Vinery’s Adam White said Growing Empire’s sister (ex Miles Of Krishan) will headline the farm’s Easter Sale draft in 2025.

“It’s very exciting, he could be anything Growing Empire, he just keeps going to another level,’’ White said.

“The mare is owned by a good client of ours in Patrick Hodgens along with Neil Werrett and Steve McCann, she had an I Am Invincible filly last year which the owners have retained and she’s got a full sister which is headed to Easter next year which is really exciting.

“She’s a sharp filly the sister, she looks like she’ll get up and going early.’’

Also at Flemington today, Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) scored a fourth career Stakes success when winning the G2 Bobbie Lewis Quality.

Having debuted with victory in the $500,000 Inglis Banner as a juvenile, Arkansaw Kid is a black type winner at two, three and four and promises to deliver more big race success for his Inglis Pink Bonus ladies ownership group, which includes his breeder Philippa Duncan.

Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes of Lindsay Park purchased Arkansaw Kid for $190,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Sledmere Stud.

The 4YO was backing up today after finishing 2^nd at Stakes level last weekend.

“Last week he ended up getting a pair further back than expected, he was a bit fresh in the run and overraced a touch off a fast tempo and just didn’t finish off but he pulled up so well and we thought this race looked so suitable for him. It worked out perfectly,’’ co-trainer Ben Hayes said.

“He’s a girls [Inglis Pink Bonus] horse, they’ve all had a big thrill. We’ve always had a high opinion of him and he showed that again today. He was very strong to the line.’’

In winning today, Arkansaw Kid led in an Inglis graduates trifecta, defeating Skybird and Buenos Noches and took his career earnings past the $1.3m mark, plus the $200,000 he picked up when winning the inaugural Inglis Pink Bonus at Moonee Valley as a 2YO.

At Rosehill untapped filly Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) broke her maiden in style today, scoring a brave victory against the boys in the G3 Ming Dynasty Quality.

The 3YO had raced only twice prior to today, which had already netted a Stakes placing during the Queensland Winter Carnival.

But she is now a valuable Group-winning Snitzel filly and has the G1 Flight Stakes – a race she is now $6 second favourite with Ladbrokes - in her sights following today’s impressive first-up win.

Trained by Chris Waller, Lady Shenandoah is a $525,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Hermitage Thoroughbreds, from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, who bred the filly with Planette Thoroughbreds.

Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer described Lady Shenandoah as a “beautiful filly’ when she was offered for sale at Riverside at last year’s Easter Sale, the same sale in which Arrowfield themselves purchased another exciting filly in the undefeated Autumn Glow, in conjunction with Hermitage.

“These Easter fillies, we’re having a ball with them at the moment!’’ Freyer said.

“She was a lovely yearling, really popular at Easter last year and it’s great for Hermitage to have another quality filly like her to race.

“It’s a quality family that just keeps getting stronger and I know the stable has always had a very good opinion of this girl so hopefully she can keep going on with it now.’’

And Golden Eagle-bound Encap (Capitalist) led in an Inglis graduates trifecta in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill, defeating Bases Loaded and Boom Torque.

The Gary Portelli-trained Encap is a winner of over $700,000 in prizemoney from his two career wins, the other being on this day last year in the G3 Ming Dynasty Stakes.

A veteran of only 14 career starts, Encap has raced exclusively at Group level the past 12 months and Portelli believes he has something special in the 4YO, who he paid $200,000 for at the Easter Yearling Sale from the Newhaven Park draft.

“I think we’ve just seen something pretty promising,’’ the trainer said.

“He was three deep the trip, I was a bit worried but he did have cover and it’s just good to see him bounce back.

“Now he’s cemented himself as not the bridesmaid anymore because he’d run a couple of 2nds and 3rds at this level but he did win his maiden at G3 level. We’re aiming toward a Golden Eagle now, I think we’re in good order with him, we’ll just sit down and work out a program there now.’’

Encap is bred by Emmanuel Bloodstock.