News

Sire Of One of Australia's Best Heads West

22nd Aug 2010

Breednet - Mark Smith - Saturday, 21 August 2010

The loudest cheer came from Western Australia as Metal Bender led home a 1-2-3 for trainer Chris Waller in Saturday's Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm.

The son of the now Western Australian based stallion Danasinga stamped his spring credentials with a fast finishing victory under Tim Clark. He had a short-neck advantage over Triple Honour (Honours List) with favourite Danleigh (Mujahid) three-quarters of a length back in third.

Metal Bender was making his return to racing after a successful Queensland carnival winning the Hollindale Stakes (G2) at the Gold Coast on May 8 before capturing the Doomben Cup (G1) on May 22.

That was his third success at the highest level having taken the Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas when trained by the late Jack Denham.

“It’s a privilege to be training these types of horses and when it works out like that it's unbelievable,” Waller said. “To finish 1-2-3 in a race like this, it’s hard to believe.”

"They trialled here on Monday and their fitness was still good enough to win a high quality race.”

All three placegetters are likely to meet again in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 4 before going there separate ways with Metal Bender targeting the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, while Triple Honour will aim for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16th.

Metal Bender takes his overall record to 8 wins and 2 seconds from 16 starts for earnings of $1,472,350.

Purchased for $160,000 by Jack Denham, on behalf of owner David Fuller, from the Waikato Stud draft at the 2007 Inglis Easter Yearling sale, Metal Bender is by former Waikato Stud resident Danasinga (Danehill) who moved to Baerami Stud in 2005 then to Touchstone Stud in Western Australia this year where he will stand at a fee of $8,800.

Metal Bender’s Hong Kong winning dam Jacqwin (Bluebird) is a half-sister to Cambridge Stud’s Group 1 winning son Keeper (Danehill), who, after a relatively slow start, is proving a success at stud.

Jacqwin has a 2yo colt by Savabeel who was purchased at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale for $110,000, and a yearling filly by O'Reilly. She was bred back to O'Reilly last year.