Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
When Paulele prevailed in a thrilling finish to the G1 Winterbottom S. in Perth on Saturday, the 4-year-old son of Dawn Approach (Ire) may have earned his place in one of the most prestigious breeding operations in Australia.
In 20 starts prior to Saturday, Paulele had placed three times at the top level, and there was a sense that the tough and consistent chestnut certainly deserved to come out on top sooner or later - and achieving that was certainly the focus for Godolphin ahead of this season’s campaign according to Racing and Bloodstock Manager Jason Walsh.
Ben Melham, Jason Walsh and Nacim Dilmi after winning the G1 Winterbottom S. | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“He’s shown himself to be a really good horse through his 2- and 3-year-old career, and when we embarked on his 4-year-old campaign it was all about trying to add that Group 1 win to his record,” Walsh told TDN AusNZ.
“He was definitely in discussions around The Everest, but we elected to go a different path and target the (G1) Manikato (S.), with the view that taking in Perth would always be an option. Whilst we didn't get the result we were hoping for at Moonee Valley, it was obviously a great result for the entire team to add that Group 1 yesterday (Saturday) in the west.”
The $6.2 million first-place prize in The Everest might have been enough to persuade your average ownership group towards a tilt at the world’s richest race on turf, especially with a horse who, on paper at least, looked to have an excellent chance. But Godolphin weren’t to be swayed in their pursuit of producing commercially viable stallion prospects, at least not this time.
“He’s (Paulele) shown himself to be a really good horse through his 2- and 3-year-old career, and when we embarked on his 4-year-old campaign it was all about trying to add that Group 1 win to his record.” - Jason Walsh
“Running third in the (G1) TJ Smith (S.) last year was an indication of his ability, and our job in maximising return for these colts is to place them at an advantage,” Walsh noted.
Changing it up
Whilst many commentators pointed to the removal of blinkers and being ridden quietly on Saturday as contributing to his victory, Walsh took a longer view at his career to note instead that Paulele has never been tied to any set of tactics.
“Throughout his career he’s shown himself to be very versatile in terms of where he can settle in the run,” he said. “Where he was yesterday at the corner of Ascot, to be seeing the lot of them, was a pretty tall ask - it just speaks to his acceleration and his ability.
“Throughout his (Paulele) career he’s shown himself to be very versatile in terms of where he can settle in the run.” - Jason Walsh
“There’s no questioning his tenacity in a finish, and he showed us last winter that he was around the mark with a horse of the calibre of Mazu in Brisbane.”
The G1 Doomben 10,000 was one of Paulele’s best performances of last season, and further evidence that he’s tactically versatile, having raced hard chasing the speed on a Heavy 8 surface. He finished an agonisingly close second that day and wasn't far behind again when subsequently second again in the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup. Hence, Walsh confirmed that a Queensland trip is likely again.
“Whilst I wouldn’t in any way rule him out of the feature sprints in Sydney or Melbourne, the options really open up to him in Brisbane in the winter… Those sorts of races will be firmly on the agenda again in 2023 I should think.”
Paulele winning the G1 Winterbottom S. at Ascot | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Though not limited by tactics, Paulele’s distance preference means that campaign would likely take in the same races again, with Walsh adding, “We had tried him at seven (furlongs, 1400 metres) once, but he’s clearly shown himself to be most effective at sprint trips.”
A unique proposition
Though it may be a long way off, the Group 1 win of course spurs thoughts of a place in one of Darley’s stallion barns for Paulele, and few are better placed to assess his potential than Darley’s Head of Stallions Alastair Pulford.
“Dawn Approach wasn’t a great stallion by any means, but he was a very good racehorse himself and they all get one. Paulele could be the one that does carry on that line,” Pulford told TDN AusNZ.
Alastair Pulford and Steve Davis | Image courtesy of Darley
“He’s got a lot of racing ahead of him, but we’d be very happy to see him somewhere on our roster. Hopefully, he can bring his Western Australian form over east, which I think he will.”
A look at Paulele’s pedigree shows that he holds unusual appeal as a sprinter descended from Sadler’s Wells (USA) and offering a particular outcross that has proven to produce elite-level winners, even from the limited opportunities within Darley's own roster. So should they be looking to capitalise on the opportunity presented by Paulele?
Darley hosts a total of 14 outcross sires for Danehill-line mares, and they have placed huge confidence (with good evidence) in sons of Shamardal (USA), offering four of his Group 1-winning sons: Blue Point (Ire), Earthlight (Ire), Pinatubo (Ire) and Victor Ludorum (GB).
Just two are direct descendants of Sadler’s Wells, and both have performed remarkably well this season. Astern, a son of Medaglia D’Oro (USA), gained his first Group 1 winner this spring when Golden Mile took out a competitive Caulfield Guineas.
Golden Mile after winning the 2022 G1 Caulfield Guineas | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
On the same day Kermadec (NZ), who is by Galileo’s (Ire) son Teofilo (Ire), gained his third elite-level winner when Tuvalu ran out an impressive winner of the G1 Toorak H. Beginning his stud career a year earlier than Astern, Kermadec’s first crop also includes four-time Group 1 winner Montefilia.
But it’s the former who poses more interest when considering Paulele’s prospects. Tuvalu is out of an Exceed And Excel mare, demonstrating that it’s a cross that’s worked for Darley, though that’s no surprise for Pulford.
“That cross works,” he said. “With the Sadler’s Wells / Danehill cross you’ve mixed two of the best stallions ever - they’re going to work well together, aren’t they?
“That cross works. With the Sadler’s Wells / Danehill cross you’ve mixed two of the best stallions ever - they’re going to work well together, aren’t they?” - Alastair Pulford
“He’s certainly different from all the other Sadler’s Wells horses that you generally get. Though Kermadec’s got a bit more speed than people give him credit for. He’s essentially a mile to a mile-and-a-half horse, and that’s what he throws.
“Paulele would be an outcross, though not a complete outcross because he’s out of a Flying Spur mare. But, he is something different, and he’s a beautiful-moving horse. There’s certainly been other notable Hunter Valley studs that have said: ‘If you don’t want him, we’ll definitely have him!'”
