News

Howmuchdoyouloveme And Hvasstan Group 1 Bound In Melbourne

20th Oct 2012

Improving gallopers Howmuchdoyouloveme and Hvasstan will aim for Group 1 Spring Carnival riches at different ends of the distance spectrum over the coming weeks after scoring at Group 2 and Group 3 level respectively at Caulfield on Saturday.

Bargain yearling sale purchase Howmuchdoyouloveme ($5,000 2010 Classic, 4g Written Tycoon-Betula Belle) made the impressive step to Group 2 winner in Melbourne, leading from start to finish in the $220,000 Caulfield Sprint over 1100m.

The son of Written Tycoon was first up since July, but had too much class for his rivals to scoot away to two length victory over Canali and Latin News in the feature dash.

“It was a pretty tough ask to come up from Listed level to a Spring Carnival Group 2 race, he’s first up from ten weeks and he’s got plenty of improvement under his belt,” trainer Con Karakatsanis said.

“He just puts himself in the race, he’s absolutely bombproof. He’s got a big future.”

Bred by Glentree Downs Pastoral, Howmuchdoyouloveme (pictured) was purchased by Con’s father Tony Karakatsanis for just $5,000 from the draft of Red Gums Stud at the 2010 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale.

The bargain buy has now had six starts for five wins and one second placing, with earnings of $315,000, a great result for his owners Mrs G Karakatsanis, Mrs K Michael, C Karakatsanis, T Karakatsanis & P Doyle.

Connections will aim higher later this spring with the exciting sprinter.

“We’ll see how he pulls up but at this stage he’ll go to the Salinger and if he runs well there he’ll back up in the Patinack Farm,” Con advised.

The $300,000 Group 2 VRC Salinger will be contested over 1200m on November 3 at Flemington, while the $1million Group 1 VRC Patinack Farm Classic will be run over the same course and distance on November 10.

Earlier in the day Hvasstan ($260,000 2011 Premier, 3c Fastnet Rock-Snow Hero) scored an emotional win in the Group 3 MRC Norman Robinson Stakes, the traditional lead-up to the $1.5milliion Group 1 VRC Derby in two weeks’ time.

The Fastnet Rock colt powered home along the fence from the back of the field over the 2000m at Caulfield to score a short head victory in the three-year-old event over fellow Inglis yearling sale graduates Electric Fusion and Honorius.

The victory came just days after the Michael Gotis, father of Hvasstan’s trainer Peter Gelagotis, passed away after a battle with illness. Gotis was also a part-owner in the colt, which the trainer hopes can continue to honour his father.

“It’s been an emotional week and I just wish Dad could have hung on for another couple of weeks to see us to the Derby, regardless of the result,” Peter said after the win.

“He left home with nothing and made a go of life and he’s given us the biggest start you could ever wish for and I hope we can carry on his hard work because he is a superstar and whoever knew him would say the same thing.”

Bred by Brent Grayling and offered under his Supreme Thoroughbreds banner at the 2011 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Hvasstan was a highly admired colt on the grounds at the Oaklands complex. After walking into the ring as Lot 284 the strapping colt was finally knocked down to Peter’s brother Manny Gelagotis of GW Racing Bloodstock for $260,000.

Hvasstan has now won three and placed another two times from just six starts. Today’s win took his prizemoney to $203,000. Most importantly he is a Group 3 winning colt by champion sire Fastnet Rock, making him a very commercial stallion prospect.

Peter, Manny and the other owners, who include dual AFL Brownlow medallist Greg Williams, will now aim higher with the colt towards the $1.5million Group 1 VRC Derby over 2500m on November 3.

Hvasstan is the 37th stakes winner for champion sire Fastnet Rock, which include Group 1 winning Inglis yearling sale graduates Mosheen, Foxwedge, Wanted, Rock Classic, Irish Lights and Speed Baby.

Over in Adelaide Classy Chloe (P$8,000 2010 Premier, 4m Danerich-Capital Growth) took her earnings to $253,000 with a valuable black-type win in the Listed SAJC Durbridge Stakes over 1200m at Morphettville.

There was less than a length covering the first four over the line in the stakes event, but it was Classly Chloe which got her nose down on the line to defeat Just Sybil, Justify That and The Eighth Maker.

Bred by Dr Chris Gliddon, Classy Chloe failed to reach her $12,000 reserve when offered by Rangal Park Stud at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. The mare is now raced by Gliddon, trainer John Hickmott, Mr J Iaria and Mrs N M How.

The 2013 renewal of the sales source of Hvasstan and Classly Chloe, the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, will be held on March 4 to 7 next year.

While the Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, the source of Howmuchdoyouloveme, will be split over two books in 2013. The Summer Book on January 20 & 21 and the Winter Book on June 23.

Dates and information on the 2013 Inglis Select Yearling Sales Series can be found at www.inglis.com.au