Ancestry ready to fulfill Plate fate

First run in 1884, when won by the Tassie-bred champion Malua (St Albans {GB}), the Oakleigh Plate has long been linked with Australia's fastest horses, with the tricky Caulfield 1100 metre course combined with the handicap conditions making it well-suited to those who choose to make their own luck at the head of affairs.

Twelve months ago, it was flying mare Pippie (Written Tycoon) who led from barrier to box, while three years earlier, Sheidel (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) led all the way.

Saturday's 138th running of the Oakleigh Plate is expected to be a keenly contested affair, with current pre-race favourite, the Phillip Stokes-trained Ancestry, expected to have to hold out flying colt Anders (Not A Single Doubt) in a speed battle.

Watching with particular interest will be Ancestry's breeders, the Lamont family at Kooringal Stud, who are very well versed with the history of the race.

"It’s a great thing to have a horse like him in a race like this. It’s a lot of years since we had Royal Discard in (the race), who was second in it," Stuart Lamont told TDN AusNZ.

That was 1995, when the Kooringal Stud-bred Royal Discard (King Hadrian) was edged out by the David Hall-trained Khaptingly (NZ) (Bletchingly).

Saturday will be Ancestry's first shot at a Group level race at his 14th start and the rise in class has been much anticipated by his breeders, given the pure speed he has shown in his career to date, particularly in his past eight starts, of which he has won seven, most of them leading from the front.

"You can forget about the first couple of runs he had and since then I think Phillip has worked him out. The horse is such a free runner and shows a lot of tenacity. He's an ideal sprinting type, really," Lamont said.

"He's an ideal horse for that sort of race. There is plenty of competition in it. Obviously, Anders is that sort of horse as well, and he doesn't carry much weight either. There is going to be a lot of speed on, it's just about who can sustain it in the end."

Speedy mare appealed

It was the purchase of a Tale Of The Cat (USA) mare at the 2014 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale where Kooringal Stud's connection with Ancestry's family began. A speedy mare herself, having won three of her first five starts, Maltese was secured from Yarraman Park in foal to Hinchinbrook for $26,000.

"We do buy quite a few mares and she appealed. She had a beautiful head and was just a really good style of a mare. She was never overly big. She was nice and strong, and a reasonable runner herself," Lamont said.

"It’s a nice family. We do tend to buy a few and we have had a bit of success buying from Arthur and Harry (Mitchell), who are terrific to deal with."

The resultant foal was sold for $100,000 at the 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and would provide an immediate stamp on Kooringal Stud's investment when he won the G2 Skyline S. as Diamond Tathagata for trainer Mark Newnham.

Maltese was then bred to Kooringal Stud's new resident stallion, The Brothers War (USA), a son of the influential War Front (USA), producing a notable colt.

"He was always a very impressive foal. He was one of those naturally muscled colts early on. He was just very correct and a really nice horse," Lamont said.

"He was never going to be a big, scopey horse, but just one of those runners. That's why the likes of Peter Moody selected him at the Sale. That sort of horse appealed to him."

Taken to the 2017 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Ancestry was purchased by Moody in partnership with Wylie Dalziel for $80,000.

"I think at the time, given he was from the first crop of The Brothers War, we felt that was about the mark. Diamond Tathagata had run second in the Inglis (Nursery, R. Listed) race. He did have a few little issues on his x-rays in the sesamoid department. He just needed a bit of time. There was nothing dramatic about it, apart from maturity," he said.

After starting out his career with Lindsay Park, where he ran in the Listed Debutant S. as an early 2-year-old and then contested the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic at Ballarat, Ancestry was spelled until he was three, where he appeared for Stokes, going on a meteoric rise from his maiden win at Mornington last January.

Maltese connection flows on

Kooringal Park retained his younger half-sister by Duporth, who the Lamonts have a high opinion of, while Maltese delivered a colt by Kooringal Stud's Prized Icon last year and is in foal to that stallion again.

"The Duporth 2-year-old filly is currently with us and has just been broken in. We don't like to push them too early, and so she won't race until she is a 3-year-old, but she is a magnificent filly," Lamont said.

"His full brother (Vasbert) is with Matt Cumani, and he's a slightly scopier horse. A slightly different type and he's just giving him some time. That will be the best thing for him."

Lamont described the Prized Icon colt foal as 'terrific', and overall he has been very impressed by the first crop of foals from the G1 VRC Derby and G1 Champagne S. winner, who served a big book of 115 mares in 2019 and followed that up with 95 last year.

"They are such an even bunch of foals. They are terrifically well grown. He's an outstanding type himself. You would be disappointed if you didn't get good sorts from him," Lamont said.

"They’ve got plenty of scope, good length, and they've got terrific back ends on them. The horse is a real chance. He ran seven times as a 2-year-old and was never out of a place. He was third in the Breeders' Plate at his first start.

"He got ready for a Breeders' Plate and raced all the way through with very short spells, and ended up winning the Derby a year later. He's a lovely, tough horse, with the most magnificent nature."

Lamont said Prized Icon's first foals ere very much in his image.

"They are a bit 'peas-in-a-pod' shape wise. Colour wise, there are a few chestnuts, but mostly they are dark brown. Body shape wise they are very nice horses," he said.