A thrilling day of racing saw three Easter graduates claim a Group 1 win and two Group 3 wins across two states.
Chris Waller’s exciting colt Vanbrugh (Encosta de Lago x Soho Secret) is quickly making his mark on the 2015 Spring Carnival, backing up a stellar Group 3 ATC Gloaming Stakes win last month with a jaw-dropping performance in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m, joining the likes of turf stars Complacent and Dundeel to complete the double.
After jumping well the colt encountered trouble mid-race and was shuffled to the rear of the field. Glyn Schofield took charge and expertly steered his mount to the outside, where the colt swept to the front in the straight and forged clear to score by more than a length ahead of I’m Belucci and Man Of Choice.
Following his Group 3 win, Waller was conservative about Vanbrugh starting in the VRC Derby, but today (Saturday) stable representative Liam Prior confirmed that a trip to Melbourne may still be on the cards, saying “He could quite possibly push on to the Derby, and on the strength of (Saturday)’s win I guess why not.”
“He is a very good colt and now he has a Group 1 against his name. Chris (Waller) said at the beginning of the preparation he thought he was up to being competitive in Group 1 company, and he has franked that today,” Prior added.
The three-year-old was a $100,000 purchase for Irish bloodstock agent Mick Flanagan from the Widden Stud draft at the 2014 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and now races for a group of owners headed by Meribelle Stable. With (Saturday)’s win, he takes his earnings past $520,000 across four wins from nine starts, not to mention the advancement in his potential breeding value.
Other notable stakes results were Serene Majesty and Politeness, with each Inglis graduate adding a Group 3 win to their records at Caulfield (on Saturday).
Serene Majesty (Fastnet Rock x Custard) blitzed the field to take out the G2 MRC Thoroughbred Club Stakes over 1200m for Peter & Paul Snowden and Kerrin McEvoy.
The lightly raced three-year-old was bred and sold by Segenhoe Stud at the 2014 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $400,000 to Kitchwin Hills, and now races for many of the ownership group that raced fellow Inglis graduate Black Caviar. The filly has now won two of her four starts, with the possibility of another run this spring before being turned out.
Backing up after an explosive win in the Group 3 MRC How Now Stakes last month, Politeness (Street Sense x Berengaria) fought strongly to hold off her opponents to take out the Group 3 MRC Series Final over 1200m at Caulfield for Robert Smerdon’s Aquanita Racing.
Bred and sold by Sledmere Stud, the now five-year-old was purchased in conjunction by Malua Bloodstock and Bahen Bloodstock for $115,000 at the 2012 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. Saturday’s win takes her earnings past $600,000 for owners Philip Sly and Katsumi Yoshida.
– William Inglis & Son Bloodstock
