News

Inglis Graduates Land Newcastle Group Double

16th Sep 2009

The winning momentum of Inglis graduates in stakes races continued at Newcastle today, with Lovemelikearock and Absolutelyfabulous taking out the Group 3 features.

LOVEMELIKEAROCK ($110,000 2008 Easter, 3f Fastnet Rock-Love All) lived up to her last start third in the G2 Furious Stakes to beat the boys in the G3 Spring Stakes.

The Anthony Cummings trained filly joins elite company, as the only other filly to win this race is Lotteria, who later went on to dual Group 1 success, in addition to a second placing in the Cox Plate.

The Spring Stakes usually throws up a good horse, with last year's winner, the Easter graduate Sousa, going on to easily win the G1 Spring Champion Stakes. Other horses to win the Spring Stakes in the past decade to later taste Group 1 victory include Shogun Lodge, Universal Prince, Clangalang and Hotel Grand.

Lovemelikearock (pictured as yearling) was sold through the Coolmore draft and is the first stakes winner this season for that stud's hot stallion Fastnet Rock, who has fellow Easter graduates Irish Lights, Rothesay, Wanted, Eclair Fastpass and Stryker also chasing big race success in coming weeks.

It was a memorable day for members of the fairer sex, with ABSOLUTELYFABULOUS ($45,000 2005 Classic, 6m Langfuhr-Joker's Girl) breaking a run of outs that extended back to March 2007 when accelerating brilliantly to claim the G3 Cameron Handicap.

Offered for sale by Meringo Stud, Absolutelyfabulous was a dual Listed winner as a three-year-old, but has had to contend with a string of frustrating stakes placings since.

The Kris Lees trained mare had been stakes placed seven times since that win, including a second to Forensics in last year's G1 Myer Classic at Flemington.

But the prizemoney has kept ticking over for connections and today's victory takes her earnings beyond the $800,000 mark.

The next opportunity to secure an Inglis graduate comes up next Friday, September 25, with the Sydney Spring Thoroughbred Sale.