News

The Championships Beckon For Inglis Graduates

15th Mar 2014

Inglis graduates had another successful Saturday in Australia with two-year-olds to five-year-olds continuing the flow of black-type wins. Believe Yourself, Villa Verde, Diamond Drille and Fat Al all notched quality victories.

Believe Youself (Sebring x Private) will be given the opportunity to emulate her sire by winning the Gr.1 ATC Golden Slipper Stakes following her fast finishing victory in today’s Group 2 ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes at Royal Randwick.

By Sebring from Private, Believe Yourself was selected from Turangga Farm’s draft at the 2013 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale Summer Book by Inglis’ Japanese representative Satomi Oka for owner Mr Tomohiro Sekiguchi for $140,000.

Believe Yourself debuted last month with a good win at Kembla Grange and the filly keeps stepping up with each challenge set by trainer Gerald Ryan.

"She’s an amazing filly as she doesn’t really show that much at home, but when you put her out of the gates she goes five lengths better,” said Ryan.

"She is small but what is there is perfect, she will go to the Golden Slipper now, her owner is just desperate for a runner in the Golden Slipper," Ryan said.

Turangga Farm will offer Believe Yourself’s yearling brother as Lot 163 at the upcoming 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Fellow Inglis graduate Villa Verde will also be aimed up at Group 1 autumn glory following a top class first-up win at Randwick today.

Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt x Young And Free) led home an Inglis quinella in the Gr.2 ATC Challenge Stakes over 1000m defeating Snitzerland by half a length.

By Not A Single Doubt from Young And Free, Villa Verde was a $95,000 purchase by Shaun Dwyer from Kiah Glenn at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Now in the care of Sydney trainer Anthony Cummings the exciting three-year-old filly will be aimed at the $2.5 million Group 1 ATC TJ Smith Stakes over 1200m during The Championships.

"She came from Shaun in good shape. She has been working like a winner and you don't work that way unless you are ready to win. There is a fair bit of money going towards The Championships, she will run in the Galaxy next and then the weight-for-age race [TJ Smith],” said Cummings.

A pair of gallopers by Al Maher purchased by Gai Waterhouse from Emirates Park at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling also scored stakes victories on Saturday – Diamond Drille and Fat Al.

Diamond Drille (Al Maher x Damzelle Pedrille) made the step to Group company in style flashing down the outside to take out the Gr.3 ATC Aspiration Quality over 1600m at Royal Randwick.

The four-year-old mare was purchased by Waterhouse for $200,000 from Emirate’s draft at the 2011 Easter Sale. Diamond Drille is building an impressive record for owners Greg & Donna Kolivos having won five of her nine career starts.

Fat Al (Al Maher x Fatoon) recorded his first stakes win for over 12 months with victory in the Listed Bendigo JC Golden Mile in Victoria on Saturday. In the process the gelding became the 700th winner for the famous Peter Moody and Luke Nolen partnership.

Fat Al was purchased by Gai Waterhouse for just $27,000 from Session Two of the 2010 Easter Sale. Gai trained the rangy galloper to win the 2012 Gr.2 ATC Epsom Handicap, but after losing his form Waterhouse suggested to the owners that a change of scenery might reinvigorate Fat Al.

The move to Peter Moody’s stable in Melbourne is paying good dividends with Saturday’s win taking Fat Al’s overall earnings past $760,000.

Emirates Park will bring a draft of 10 yearlings to the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on 8, 9 & 10 April at Newmarket in Sydney.

Widden Stud will offer the half-sister to Group 1 Randwick Guineas winner Dissident at Easter. The filly by Northern Meteor will be sold as Lot 408

Siblings to other stakes performers today Snitzerland and Mahican are also among the 550 lots catalogued for this year’s Easter Sale.

The complete Easter Yearling Sale catalogue can be view online at www.inglis.com.au and on the Inglis Sales iPad app. Hard-copy catalogues can be requested by email to catalogue@inglis.com.au

The $50,000 Inglis Race Series Bonus that failed to go off at Bendigo on Saturday will be placed on another suitable race in the coming months. Details will be announced next week.