Daily News Wrap

Ayrton shows true colours

Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) bounced back to his best with a clear-cut victory at Eagle Farm.

He was beaten for the first time when second to Apache Chase (Better Than Ready) in the G3 Fred Best Classic and had no trouble returning to winning ways in the G3 James Squire Gunsynd Classic.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Ayrton bounced out to sit in the trail and once rider James McDonald got him into the clear he quickly accelerated to down Ellsberg (Spill The Beans), who was caught wide before going to the front.

Price said spring plans for Ayrton are yet to be locked in, but he is keen on a crack at the $7.5 million Golden Eagle for which he heads the betting at $6.

Back-up handled with ease

Knights Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) handled a quick back-up with aplomb to bolt away with the G2 Lexus Brisbane Cup and lead home a quinella for his sire.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stayer won the Listed Winter Cup over 2400 metres at Rosehill last weekend and he lapped up the 3200 metre trip on Saturday to lead all the way for rider Tim Clark.

“I think that’s it for us this campaign. We’ll give him a short freshen-up and now we’ll really hone in to see what we can come up with in the spring because I certainly feel he’s a worthy contender and has made that necessary leap," Bott said.

Knight’s Order surged clear into the straight and he held a strong gallop to have 4.75l on So You Think’s (NZ) other son Carif.

Mare continues winning form

Adelong (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) made it two on the bounce with a strong victory in the Listed Bob Charley AO S. at Randwick.

She had won over the same course and distance at her previous start to have trainer Brad Widdup in a bullish pre-race mood.

“She had trained on really well and that first win was a great confidence booster for her. I might freshen her up now for the early spring,” he said. “It was great to get that stakes win for a valuable mare.”

Super effort

Superium (Verrazano {USA}) broke a run of minor placings with a stirring win in the Listed Jim Beam Black Hinkler H. at Eagle Farm.

The 4-year-old settled at the tail of the field from the outside gate and when rider Craig Williams asked him to go, the chestnut powered down the outside.

“It’s good to get the job done, he has been a bit frustrating. It all panned out perfectly and the track is playing very fair,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.

First Southern Hemisphere stakes success

Uncommon James delivered a first Australian black-type success for former Woodside Park Stud shuttle stallion Cable Bay (Ire) when he finished determinedly at Eagle Farm to double his winning tally.

The Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted-trained colt had finished runner-up on debut before success at the Sunshine Coast and went to another level on Saturday when he landed the Listed Nova 106.9 Oxlade S.

Uncommon James is one of four Southern Hemisphere winners for Cable Bay, whose flagship performer to date is the G2 Haydock Temple S. winner Liberty Beach (GB).

Satono off the mark

Rich Hill Stud’s Satono Aladdin (Jpn) only raceday representative to date has opened the shuttle stallion’s winning account in Japan.

Omiwatari (Jpn) finished third on debut last month and showed significant improvement to triumph on Friday over 1100 metres.

A Group 1-winning son of the legendary Deep Impact (Jpn), Satono Aladdin will return to Rich Hill in 2021 after missing last season due to COVID-19 travel issues.

His first crop sold for up to NZ$360,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and will stand this season at a service fee of NZ$12,500 + GST.

Gravina doubles up

Promising Sebring colt Gravina added to his tidy record with a smart win in the 50 Year And Life Members’ H. at Randwick.

“He had a good couple of weeks since his last emphatic win here two weeks ago. It’s great to see him keep improving,” trainer James Cummings said. “He attacked the line well and it seems to us that he’s got a bit more in the locker.”

Gravina, who has won three of his nine starts, travelled strongly in third spot and finished powerfully along the fence for apprentice Reece Jones to account for Steel Diamond (Star Witness).

Vanbrugh strikes

Encosta De Lago’s son Vanbrugh is on the board following his daughter Mustang Valley’s (NZ) win in the Skycity Hamilton 1200 at Te Rapa.

Vanbrugh, who stands at NZ$5000 + GST, earned his place on Windsor Park Stud’s roster after a successful career for Champion trainer Chris Waller with wins in the G1 Spring Champion S. and a brace at Group 3 level.

“It is fantastic to get a 2-year-old winner for Vanbrugh as he won his 2-year-old debut at Randwick and then went on to be a 3-year-old Group 1 winner, so he was a genuinely classy individual,” Windsor Park’s Rodney Schick said.

“It would be fair to say that he hasn’t really had the numbers we were hoping for in his first couple of seasons at stud, but there is some nice word on the ones he has in work and to see a quality filly like this come through can only be good for him.”

Mustang Valley is trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman for Windsor Park and partners and the filly from the family of the former two-time Australian Horse of the Year and multiple Group 1 winner Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

Record-setting Sale ends

The three-day Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds more than bounced back from its 2020 pandemic-induced lull, ending with its highest-ever gross and average and with a record-tying median.

In all, 560 juveniles grossed US$24,492,950 (AU$31.7 million) for an average of US$43,737 (AU$56,600), besting the previous record figures of US$23,475,500 (AU$30.4 million) and US$39,722 (AU$51,388), respectively, set in 2015. The cumulative median was US$20,000 (AU$25,870). With 125 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.2 per cent.

Four horses topped the US$400,000 (AU$517,500) mark during the three-session auction, with a filly by Practical Joke (USA) bringing a top price of US$425,000 (AU$550,000). Mike Ryan made the highest bid of the final session, going to US$410,000 (AU$530,334) to acquire a filly by Frosted (USA) from the Silvestre Chavez Thoroughbreds consignment.

Group 1 runners

Trainer John Quinn is set for a busy week at Royal Ascot, with G1 King's Stand S. starters Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) and Keep Busy (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) among a possible four runners at next week's marquee meeting.

Those aforementioned 4-year-old mares lined up against one another on their seasonal debuts in the May 22 G2 Temple S. at Haydock, with Philip Wilkins' Liberty Beach winning by a neck and Doreen Tabor's Keep Busy finishing fifth.

“They are working well,” the North Yorkshire-based Quinn said. “I'm very happy with them. They've come out of Haydock well.”