News

Kumara Straight wins G1 at just third career start

14th Nov 2026

Unexposed 3YO Kumara Straight (Hellbent) achieved the remarkable feat of winning a G1 at just his third career start today when he was victorious in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.

The Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained Kumara Straight only debuted four weeks ago when narrowly winning a maiden at Ellerslie.

He then finished 2nd at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup Day before taking the giant leap into G1 company today and proving too strong against a class field.

Kumara Straight (pictured) is a $75,000 Classic Yearling Sale purchase for his co-trainer Ritchie from the Twin Hills Stud draft.

He is bred by McEnnis Racing’s John McDonald and Matt Ennis.

Twin Hills’ Olly Tait felt understandably proud after today’s win, as Kumara Straight was born and raised at Twin Hills and prepped there for last year’s Classic Sale.

“He was always a nice horse, very straight forward, he presented well at the sale and I’m particularly pleased for John McDonald and Matt Ennis, they bred him at Twin Hills, he was born here and sold at Classic so it’s a wonderful result all round,’’ Tait said.

“It’s very satisfying. Our team does a great job and we pride ourselves on the horses we raise.

“I’m very happy the horse has won one of New Zealand’s greatest and most important races.’’

For winning co-trainer Murray, it was his first G1.

“That was unreal as he got caught wide but he just kept on coming as he is a tough bugger,” Murray said.

“That was just his third start, so it is quite special.

“When he won his maiden at Ellerslie, we took him back there again and he just got touched off by one of Roger and Robert’s (James and Wellwood). I said to Shaune that he was just a bit green and Shaune said we have to go (here to Riccarton) so we did.

“Shaune bought this horse in Sydney and he can really pick them out.”

Interestingly both Kumara Straight’s sire and dam are also Inglis graduates, Hellbent from Classic and Snow Secret through both the Chairman’s Sale and Inglis Digital.

Kumara Straight becomes the 130th individual G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018 and one of 53 that could have been bought for $100,000 or less. 

He is also one of 20 G1-winning Inglis graduates so far in 2026.

Meanwhile at Sandown today Concord Connie’s impressive spring carnival wrapped up with a hard-fought victory in the G3 Summoned Stakes.

The 4YO mare has raced four times this preparation and has not been out of the placings, including a G1 2nd when runner-up to Lady Shenandoah in the Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington during Melbourne Cup Week.

Today’s win was her first at Group level.

Trained by Charlotte Littlefield, Concord Connie (Contributer) is a Premier Yearling Sale graduate of her breeder Yabby Dam Farms.

“Pat Driscoll at Yabby Dam Farms bred her and entrusted her with us and I love working with Pat, he’s such a legend of a guy,’’ Littlefield said.

“It’s exciting to be on this journey with this mare and I think she’s got a lot more in store.

“She is smart. She actually does know when she wins races this horse…she dug so deep there and they’re the things you can’t buy in a horse or look at a horse and assess whether they’ve got that. They’ve either got that grit and determination or they don’t and she’s got it. She’s the most beautiful horse.’’

Concord Connie, who defeated Terilee in an Inglis graduates quinella today, has now won more than $600,000 thanks to her impressive overall record of 8:4.3.1

And Consulate (Home Affairs) scored a valuable first black type victory when winning the G2 Sandown Guineas.

The 3YO filly had performed admirably in Stakes grade prior to today, including most recently at Flemington on Derby Day, but was dominant this afternoon, winning by 4.3 lengths.

The victory continued a strong affiliation for Inglis graduates in the Sandown Guineas, having now won three of the past four editions following success by Sheza Alibi last year and Serasana in 2023.

Trainer Chris Waller teamed up with Guy Mulcaster Bloodstock and ARJB Racing to buy the Katom-bred Consulate for $300,000 out of the Coolmore draft at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale.

"Her run on Derby Day was very good," Waller said. "We brought her down here thinking 'ok, we can give her a chance'.

“Some do rise, some don't. She certainly did."

In Perth tonight a pair of Inglis Digital bargain buys added more black type to their already impressive resumes – and a Classic filly scored a valuable first Stakes success – when winning features at Ascot.

First it was Oscar’s Fortune (Rich Enuff) who scored a seventh career victory when winning the G3 Colonel Reeves Stakes.

The 6YO has been an incredible success story for connections – he’s a $5500 online purchase and today’s victory took his earnings to almost $1.8m.

Bred by Woodside Park Stud, the Dion Luciani-trained Oscar’s Fortune will now target the G1 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in a fortnight.

The very next race saw Profit Motive (Capitalist) became a dual Stakes winner at just her fourth career start when winning the G3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes.

Trained by Mitchell Pateman, the Rifa Mustang-bred Profit Motive has now won all three starts this preparation and appears to be one of the rising stars of West Australian racing.

Pateman bought the Rifa Mustang-bred filly for $20,000 in last year’s January Online Sale and she’s already won $250,000 in prizemoney.

And then Jedi Dream (Cosmic Force) surged late to score a memorable win in the Listed Placid Ark Stakes for owners and significant investors Kyle and Brody Sutherland and their partners.

Her trainer Stefan Vahala, enjoying the biggest win of his burgeoning career, purchased Jedi Dream for $130,000 at last year’s Classic Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Kirks Bridge Farm, who co-bred the filly with Cheval Properties.