News

Linlithgow Stakes to Whitefriars

3rd Nov 2010

Stallions - Michelle Cullen - Saturday, 30 October 2010

Although the rain was falling and the sky grey, Rick Worthington’s smile said it all after his five-year-old gelding Whitefriars delivered a tough knock out blow to his rivals in the Group 2 Seppelt Salinger Stakes (registered name: Linlithgow Stakes) at Flemington on Derby day.

Whitefriars was coming off a faultless campaign this preparation and the five-year-old son of Arena had just failed to run down Hot Danish in the Group 2 Shorts at Randwick. Two weeks later Whitefriars destroyed a long standing track record at Randwick and under Jim Cassidy at Flemington on a soft track he out slogged his rivals to give Worthington a career boosting win.

Worthington has long held Whitefriars in high regard and thought enough of him to run him in the Caulfield Guineas. Although Whobegotyou beat him by more than 20-lengths, a gelding operation a spell in a rough paddock has made the talented galloper.

“I think today with the track the way it was it really paled to his strengths as a true miler,” Worthington said.

“He was able to slog it out and keep coming to the line while some of the speedier types struggled”

“Jim (Cassidy) gave him a great ride”, Worthington added.

Cassidy said he felt confident throughout the event as the long-striding Whitefriars showed plenty of courage.

“I was confident because he’s by Arena out of a Marauding mare and that ticks a lot of boxes in the wet”

Worthington said he would consider taking Whitefriars to Perth for the Winterbottom Stakes and Cassidy is confident he can measure up to a strong sprint.

Whitefriars was selected by Worthington out of the 2007 William Inglis Classic yearling sale where he paid $80,000 for him from the draft of Lomar Park Stud, who stands his sire, Arena.

Now a winner of five of his 17-starts with earnings topping $400,000, Whitefriars has returned his connections a tidy profit.

His dam Alsatia a non-winner by the Golden Slipper winner Marauding (by Sir Tristram), is in turn out of Living Fine (by Danger’s Hour), a winning half-sister to English Wonder (by Twig Moss).

English Wonder was a winner of 10 races including the Group I South Australian Derby and is in turn is the dam of the outstanding Dr Grace (12 wins) including the Group 1 AJC Derby, STC BMW – H. E. Tancred, Chipping Norton Stakes and MRC Underwood Stakes. English Wonder is also the dam of Asia (by Danehill) winner of the Group 1 SAJC South Australian Oaks.