News

Inglis Group Race Clean Sweep At Caulfield

15th Aug 2015

Inglis graduates saluted in all three Group races held at Caulfield today, taking out two Group 3 Races and the first Group 2 of the season, the MRC PB Lawrence Stakes which was won by Mourinho, marking the first win at this level for Darryl Blackshaw who recently stepped up to train the gelding.

Mourinho (Oratorio x Benevolent) took out the day’s feature race over 1400m ahead of another stalwart of the track, The Cleaner. A $36,000 buy from the Little Wych draft at the 2009 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for his part-owner Leo Tartaglione, Mourinho saw his earnings soar past $1,000,000 with today’s win.

Blackshaw, who has been training the majority of horses normally under the care of fellow Moe trainer Peter Gelagotis, said before the race “I’ve never had a Group 2 runner and I’ve been in the game for 40 years, they’re hard to get!”

The trainer hopes his first Group 2 win will not be his last, with plans for Mourinho to line up in the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley next month.

“He’ll be going for the Dato. Hopefully that’ll be the next one!” Blackshaw said.

Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate Petits Filous (Street Boss x Excellent Lady) maintained her unbeaten record today, leading all the way to win the Group 3 MRC Quezette Stakes over 1100m. The filly was a $65,000 purchase from the Emirates Park draft at last year's sale for her trainer Ciaron Maher, and she has now earned just shy of $200,000 from just three starts.

After such a convincing win, Maher voiced his reluctance to run the filly in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) in October, for which she is nominated.

“Today was a real test for her. We’ll see how she comes through the run, but today was a real target race,” said Maher.

“With each start she’s learning a little bit and she’s quite a keen little race horse that can be quite aggressive so we’ll keep her to the sprint trips at this stage,” Maher said.

Earlier in the day Peter Moody saddled talented three-year-old Gold Symphony (Reward For Effort x Tzaress) to win the Group 3 MRC Vain Stakes over 1100m. A $100,000 purchase from the 2014 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for Triple Crown Syndications, the colt took his record to two wins and one second from three starts, and earnings past $130,000.

Despite today’s win, Moody was reserved about his plans for the colt, commenting "With the preparation he's had he's probably going to be aimed more at the autumn than the spring, I would feel, but while he keeps performing we'll look at another option if he keeps pleasing us at home,"

Inglis The Star Ready2Race Sale graduate Snitzel Spirit (Snitzel x Gifted Spirit) recorded his first stakes victory on Friday night, winning the Singapore Group 3 Causeway Classic for trainer Michael Freedman and his Australian connections.

Freedman purchased Snitzel Spirit in conjunction with Michael Wallace Bloodstock for $80,000 from the 2013 Inglis The Star Ready2Race Sale. The four-year-old has taken his race record to an outstanding six wins and six placings from 13 starts, and his earnings past S$350,000 (A$337,000).