Written by Paul Vettise
Star Thoroughbreds' well-related Achiever (Pride Of Dubai) capped his early progression at Randwick with the first win of his career and the colt achieved it in style with a commanding performance to win with ease.
He had earned a cheque in each of his previous four appearances and the thickest wedge of the stake in the Castelvecchio @ Arrowfield H. sits in his bank account and the promise of more significant deposits to come.
Achiever sat at the back of the field before creeping closer near the turn and he was in full cry soon after to hit the front 250 metres from home. He went clear to score by 3.3l from the longshot Street Dancer to give Coolmore stallion Pride Of Dubai the quinella.
For successful rider Brenton Avdulla, it ended a barren spell as he’d been without a metropolitan winner since Anzac Day. He took the radical move of dyeing his hair blonde for the meeting and his new look duly changed his luck.
The favourite Acrophobic (Dissident) dropped out to tail the field home after leading, but was later found to have suffered cardiac arrhythmia and will be spelled.
Brenton Avdulla (left)
Headgear works oracle
Achiever’s trainer Chris Waller attributed the addition of blinkers as a factor in the colt’s success and had that come at his previous start when third he would have booked a trip to Brisbane for the G1 JJ Atkins.
Waller has always had a good opinion of the horse and said the G1 Spring Champion S. was a likely long-term target.
Achiever | Image by Mark Evans courtesy of AAP Photos
Bred by the Vieira Group, Achiever is now looking to be a smart piece of business for Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock, who bought him for $80,000 out of Erinvale Thoroughbreds’ draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
He is a half-brother to the G3 Standish H. winner Decircles (Encosta De Lago) and while their dam Lady Circles (Ascot Knight {Can}) failed to win, she is from a cracking family.
Her half-brothers Elvstroem (Danehill {USA}) and Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) were both multiple Group 1 winners and the former’s sister Hveger is the dam of Highland Reel (Ire), seven times successful at Group 1 level and will stand at Swettenham Stud again this season.
Achiever as a yearling
