News

Third Time Lucky For Birchley

26th Jan 2009

After enduring two frustrating seconds in bonus races this month, Queensland based trainer Liam Birchley landed a welcome success when Fear No Other took out Monday's $250,000 Inglis Classic at Randwick.

FEAR NO OTHER ($50,000 2008 Classic, 2g Iglesia-Berkley Miss) was secured by Aquanita Racing from the Fairview Park draft at last year's Classic Sale and he is now the winner of two races in three starts, for earnings of $172,000.

Birchley has had to settle for minor placings in juvenile features this month, with Paprika and Sarge In Charge filling second placing in the Magic Millions and Karaka Millions respectively.

But Fear No Other exacted revenge today, overcoming a wide run in transit to stave off all challengers.

The son of Iglesia held on to win the Classic from ALL LEGAL ($25,000 2008 Classic, 2c Al Maher-Azardi) and HURTLE MYRTLE ($55,000 2008 Classic, 2f Dane Shadow-Ravenswood).

The 2009 Inglis Classic Sale will be held at Newmarket from February 8-10, with a catalogue of 607 yearlings to be sold.

Classic continues to prove itself as an outstanding value sale.

Already this season, Classic graduates have won 16 stakes races in Australia, with the winners ranging in price from just $14,000 to $70,000.

These are highlighted by the Group 1 winners Whobegotyou and Typhoon Zed, with the tally added to by $40,000 graduate Tell A Tale, a Group 1 winner in New Zealand.

Fear No Other's success today capped a great weekend for Inglis graduates in juvenile features.

The Inglis Premier provided today's Blue Diamond Preview winners Rostova and Reward For Effort.

Yesterday's $NZ1M Karaka Million winner, THE HECKLER ($26,000 2007 Australian Weanling, 2g Lucky Owners-Comedy Cafe), also had his origins at Inglis.

After being secured as a weanling from the Amarina Farm draft in Sydney, he was later pinhooked for $70,000 before taking New Zealand's richest juvenile race on Sunday.

While the Inglis Classic took centre stage at Randwick today, the Australia Day Cup added to the Inglis 2008-09 stakes tally.

Talented stayer ZAVITE ($80,000 2004 Easter, 6g Zabeel-Miss Vita) relished the step up to 2400m and led throughout in the Listed event, taking his earnings to the brink of the $500,000 mark.