Saturday summary: Top Ranked and Ellsberg share Epsom honours

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Judge fails to split Top Ranked and Ellsberg

The Annabel Neasham-trained Top Ranked (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) entered the Group 1 after breaking his Australian duck in the G3 Bill Ritchie, while Ellsberg (Spill The Beans), who is trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, was last sighted finishing third in the G2 Shannon S., having previously been successful at Group 3 level on two occasions.

After both racing in midfield, Ellsberg emerged out of the pack to join Hinged (Worthy Cause), but Top Ranked was hot on their heels, joining the pair with 150 metres left to travel.

As they approached the shadow of the winning post, all three were in a line together, but the Australian Bloodstock-owned Top Ranked and Ellsberg were able to edge out the brave mare Hinged, eventually beating her by 0.3l.

It was the third time the G1 Epsom had finished in a dead-heat, the others occurring in 1873 and 1925.

Neasham has shown her affinity for training all types of horses, but has a special touch when it comes to the handling of imports and Top Ranked could now join the trainer’s other star foreigner, Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 22.

“I walked onto the track and I just wanted to see how the horse has pulled up. I actually didn't think we’d got it,” said Neasham.

“Unbelievable horse. Second-up just two weeks from a run off a long layoff. The question is whether they give him a spot in the Cox Plate but they have to after that. He’s a Group 1 horse.

“We always thought he was going to be a really good horse here in Australia. It is great to win it for Australian Bloodstock. To win the Epsom for them is just so special.”

Meanwhile, Ryan and Alexiou were enjoying their first Group 1 winner since going into partnership in 2020 and the former described the win as ‘very special’ having also trained the gelding’s ill-fated sire, Spill The Beans, during his career.

“It’s our first Group 1 together (with co-trainer Sterling Alexiou),” said Ryan. “We had Ellsberg’s father, we bought him as a yearling and we bought him (Ellsberg) as a yearling. We paid a lot of money for him, there are good blokes in the horse with us, a great syndicate.

“It’s good when you buy the horse as a yearling and bring him along. We’ve been desperate to win a Group 1 with him but I had basically given up hope. We’d been here three times at the mile and we had been found wanting but he stuck his head out today (Saturday). He’s so honest. I think it’s just three times that he has been out of the first four. I wish I had more of them.”

Privately purchased by Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock, Top Ranked is out of the winner Countess Ferrama (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) whose dual Group 2-winning dam Madame Dubois (GB) (Legend Of France {USA}) produced a further nine winners and they are headed by G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Indian Haven (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and the G1 Gran Criterium winner Count Dubois (GB) (Zafonic {USA}).

Meanwhile, Ellsberg was bred by Hillside Downs and purchased by Segenhoe Stud for $50,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale in 2018, before being snapped up by Ryan for $280,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale the following year.

A son of former Aquis Farm-based sire Spill The Beans, who died in 2019, the 6-year-old gelding is out of the three-time-winning General Nediym mare Love Of Liberty, making him a three-quarter brother to Group 3 winner Electric General.

Love Of Liberty’s filly by Divine Prophet was purchased by Myrtle House and Edward Cummings for $50,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, while she foaled a colt by Shamus Award in 2021.

No Compromise keeps up family tradition in the Metropolitan

No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) - a son of the unmatched broodmare Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}), added another Group 1 win to his dam’s record in the G1 Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday.

However the lead in to race didn’t come without some family drama when No Compromise’s half-brother Benaud (Reliable Man {GB}) was forced to forgo acceptance after a mix up with medical treatment. So, it was left to No Compromise to take up the mantle as the family’s flagbearer and he didn’t let them down, slicing through the field to chin La Don De Vie (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) on the line.

Waller said we had not seen the best of No Compromise on the wet tracks last year.

“Similar to the last race in the Epsom, it was a great finish,” Waller said. “I didn't know which way that one was going to go, but thankfully this one didn't take as long to put up.

“He's been a bit unlucky. He doesn't like the real wet tracks. Today, even though it's Heavy, they are getting through it better than they were in the autumn and that was a help to him.”

Meanwhile, while he was impressed with the victory, the trainer was apprehensive about making raceday plans, but said the St Leger S. back at Randwick on October 15 was a more realistic target than the G1 Caulfield Cup, although he hadn't ruled out giving the gelding a shot at the latter.

With his victory in the time-honoured Group 1, No Compromise - a son of the late Waikato Stud-based sire Pins - becomes the second Group 1 winner for his top-class broodmare Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}), whose other elite-level scorer is the recently retired multiple top-flight winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

Both Baggy Green and her daughter Tofane are now fully-signed up members of the Yulong Stud broodmare band, along with two other sisters, with the Victorian-based operation having purchased the daughter of Galileo (Ire) for NZ$1.75 million on Gavelhouse Plus in June, while they paid $3.1 million for her daughter at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale earlier in the year.

However, No Compromise's family is one with more strength and depth than just his generation, with Baggy Green herself a three-quarter sister to Funstar (Adelaide {Ire}), whose only Group 1 victory came in the G1 Flight S. on the corresponding Randwick card three years ago, while Baggy Green also counts fellow Group 1 winner Youngstar (High Chaparral {Ire}) amongst her half-siblings.

Like most of their family, Funstar and Youngstar proved a hit in the sales ring following their lucrative careers with Katsumi Yoshida purchasing both mares, paying $2.7 million for Funstar on the Inglis Digital July Sale in 2021, having previously parted with $1.4 million to secure her half-sister at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in 2020.

Smokin’ Romans takes Turnbull

Ciraon Maher and David Eustace were provided their 17th Group 1 winner as a training partnership when Smokin' Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) ran out a dominant winner of the G1 Turnbull S. at Flemington on Saturday, a victory that propelled him to the head of the betting for the G1 Caulfield Cup.

The 6-year-old gelding has come a long way in a short space of time, having taken out his first stakes race when he landed the Listed Pakenham Cup in January and he warmed up for his start in the Group 1 with a victory in the G3 Foundation Cup.

Ridden by Ethan Brown, Smokin’ Romans finished strongly to defeat Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) by 1.5l, while Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was further 0.1l away in third.

The G1 Turnbull S. has proved a good omen for the spring pointers in the past, with five of the last winners of the Group 1 having gone on to win either the G1 Caulfield Cup, G1 Cox Plate or G1 Melbourne Cup in the same year.

With Ethan Brown engaged on the winner’s stablemate Snapdancer (Choisir) in The Everest on Caulfield Cup Day, Maher told Racing.com they may call up Jamie Kah for the ride on Smokin' Romans in the Group 1, with the training partnership and jockey having already tasted top-flight success this season with Coolangatta's (Written Tycoon) victory in the G1 AJ Moir S.

“He's (Smokin’ Romans) been a real product of the system, I suppose,” Maher said. “Late last preparation we sent him down to the beach, as he was always very quirky, just to get him used to going on and off the float all the time.

“I think Jamie Kah will ride him (in the Caulfield Cup). He's got the light weight (51.5kg) and there's only a few (jockeys available) and I'd say she'd be pretty happy to get on after today.”

Bred by B J Anderton Onzm and Mrs L E Anderton, Smokin’ Romans was purchased by Darren Weir for NZ$52,500 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in 2018 and he is out of the dual Group 3 winner Inferno (NZ) (Yamanin Vital {NZ}).

In winning the race, Smokin’ Romans provided his sire Ghibellines - a son of Shamardal (USA) with his first Group 1 winner and he stands at White Robe Lodge in New Zealand for a fee of $8000 plus GST.

Zougotcha flies home at Randwick

There is surely no stallion in the world currently in better form than Zoustar, and on Saturday his daughter Zougotcha became the Widden Stud resident's fifth Group 1 winner when she proved to be a notch above her contemporaries in the G1 Flight S. at Randwick.

Zoustar himself got off to the best possible start in Sydney when another of his daughters, Platinum Jubilee, who, like Zougotcha, is also out of a daughter of Fastnet Rock, landed the G3 Gimcrack S. which saw the stallion’s global stakes-winning haul swell to 33.

Trained by Chris Waller, Zougotcha has proved unbeatable this season, having landed the G2 Silver Shadow S. first-up, before taking out the G2 Tea Rose S. and she continued that insatiable form when beating Group 1 winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) by a facile 2l. Recent G2 Furious S. winner North Star Lass - another daughter of Zoustar - finished a further 0.2l away in third.

Waller was enjoying his second victory in the race having saddled Funstar (Adelaide {Ire}) to victory in the Group 1 in 2019 and he said the filly would now head for a well-deserved spell.

“The thing you don’t really know about horses is where is the ceiling? If you look after them they look after you. So I would say that will be her last run of the spring,” said Waller.

“We had a pretty short run up from the winter in Queensland so we don’t need to find out where the end is. We will give her a bit of a break and look forward to the autumn.”

The filly was purchased by Waller and his bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster for $500,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of her breeders Widden Stud.

She is out of the Listed-placed Fastnet Rock mare Fast Talker, making her a sister to Twilight Glow S. winner Persuader, while she also counts stakes winner The Actuary (Sebring) among her half-siblings.

The filly becomes the second Group 1-winning female for Zoustar in as many weeks, with Lezoo (GB) - a filly from his first Northern Hemisphere crop - winning the G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket a mere seven days ago.

Fine double for Forsman at HQ

Trainer Andrew Forsman was provided with an impressive stakes double at Flemington on Saturday courtesy of She’s Licketysplit’s (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) victory in the G2 Edward Manifold S., while Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel) advertised his VRC G1 Derby credentials with a victory in the Listed Super Impose S.

The first leg of the double was provided by She’s Licketysplit, who took advantage of the better ground at Flemington when running out an ultra impressive winner of the G2 Edward Manifold S. and will now head to the G1 Thousand Guineas.

A Group 1 winner in her native New Zealand, the Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of Turn Me Loose (NZ) didn’t seem to appreciate the Heavy 8 track when last seen running third in the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude.

However, with the ground rated a Good 4 on Saturday, conditions looked ideal for the 3-year-old and she motored away to beat Typhoon Titmus (Headwater) by 0.75l, while Tanjeed (I Am Invincible) was a further 0.25l away in third.

“Nothing went right at Caulfield the other day, but she bounced through it well and that probably gave us the confidence to come here today,” Forsman said.

“She travelled with the blinkers. She was on the job today and when she paraded before, I just thought she paraded like a horse that was ready to win.”

Bred by Dean Hawkins and Nick Hewson, who are involved in her ownership with a group of close friends and family, She's Lickety Split is out of the stakes-placed four times winner She's Slinky (NZ) (Handsome Ransom) whose daughter Neon Moon (NZ) (Exosphere) is a four times winner, her most recent success coming in June.

She’s Slinky was covered by Windsor Park shuttler Circus Maximus (IRE) last season having previously missed to Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill {USA}).

Turn Me Loose is standing at Windsor Park for a fee of NZ$20,000 plus GST.

Meanwhile, the final event of an action-packed Flemington card went the way of her stablemate Mr Maestro, who followed up his recent success in the VRC Derby Trial with a victory in the Listed Super Impose S., which Forsman is hoping will prove the perfect stepping stone towards the G1 VRC Derby on October 29.

The colt is out Let Me Roar (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}, who Forsman and his former training partner Murray Baker guided to six victories and a Group 3 placing. The daughter of Rip Van Winkle (Ire) herself is a half-sister to Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home {GB}), who Baker, and his son Bjorn, saddled to win the 2010 G1 VRC Derby.

In his 4-year-old season, the son of Storming Home (GB) added a G1 Underwood S. to his CV in 2011, a victory which handed Forsman his first Group 1, having formed a partnership with Baker earlier that year.

Mr Maestro himself was purchased by Forsman for NZ$100,000 at Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2021 and after Saturday’s win he becomes the 127th stakes winner for Waikato’s multiple Champion Sire Savabeel.

Lost And Running lands the Premiere

Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) tuned up for his The Everest assault with a victory in the G2 Premiere S. at Randwick and trainer John O’Shea believes he has the gelding exactly where he wants him ahead of the $15 million race.

Last seen finishing third behind the current The Everest favourite Nature Strip (Nicconi) in G2 The Shorts, the 6-year-old gelding dug deep to beat fellow The Everest contenders Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) and Masked Crusader (Toronado {Ire}), who finished second and third respectively. Meanwhile, Overpass (Vancouver) faded to finish sixth, albeit only 2.1l off the winner.

“It was a super win because Hugh (Bowman) had to get off the back of Overpass who took him nowhere. So he had to make a really long run on him. But that is the way you want to ride a 6-4 chance, take all the luck out of it,” said O’Shea.

“He’s going to come on so much for that. He was probably on empty with 100 metres to go but he got the job done and we can go to the big race in a couple of weeks with our tail in the air and hopefully get another win. He will come on for that. It is a great result for the stable, the owners, and everyone involved.”

Giga Kick takes the Danehill

Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) has been somewhat the surprise package of the last few months and he continued his rise through the ranks when he stretched his unbeaten record to four when he added a second stakes win to his CV with a victory in the G2 Danehill S. at Flemington on Saturday.

The Clayton Douglas-trained gelding came into the race off the back of a victory in the G3 Vain S. and he stayed on strongly to come out on top of a blanket finish, eventually beating Buenos Noches (Supido) by 0.1l. Cannonball (Capitalist) was a further 1.5l away in third.

“What a horse,” a relieved Douglas said after a thrilling finish between Giga Kick and Supido colt Buenos Noches. “Six weeks between runs, he was probably feeling it late in that contest, but it was a great effort.

“He's done so well and I think he's got nice improvement to come. He's still big enough and still got plenty in the tank. We'll just see how he pulls up, but I'm really happy with how he is and it was good to get the job done today.

“He was probably asked to go early and it was a good run, in a good solid-run race - I think they were only half-a-second outside the class record - so he's a good horse this.

“He's only going to be better in the autumn but we've got a serious horse for the spring anyway.”

The son of Scissor Kick could now head to the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at Flemington on October 29.

Williamsburg gets back on the board

Williamsburg (Snitzel) - who landed the G3 Schweppervescence H. and the Listed Fernhill H as a juvenile - returned to the winners’ circle on Saturday when he came from last to first to win the Listed Dulcify S. at Randwick.

Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the 3-year-old was running for the third time this campaign, last seen finishing fifth in the G3 Ming Dynasty H. and he showed he was back to something like his best when he defeated Communist (Russian Revolution) by 0.8l

Purchased by Tony Fung Investments for $470,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Arrowfield Stud draft, the son of Snitzel is out of Group 1 winner Fenway (High Chaparral {Ire}) and hails from the same family as elite-level winners Joie Denise (Danehill {USA}), Tuesday Joy (Carnegie {GB}), Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {USA}) and More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}).