Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Race-Day Recap
The Chris Waller-trained Cigar Flick (Churchill {Ire}) returned to the races in fine style on Saturday by winning at Randwick.
The Kris Lees-trained Power Of The Brave (Brave Smash {Jpn}) kept his unbeaten record intact with a gritty victory at Doomben on Saturday.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Spicy Margs (Deep Field) kicked off her second preparation at Caulfield on Saturday in explosive style when she proved much too speedy for her rivals.
The Newgate Farm-based Russian Revolution’s outstanding 2022/23 season was continued on Saturday when he sired his 19th individual juvenile winner when the Ryan Balfour-trained Mintulee scored on debut at Gawler.
On Saturday, the Peter Didham-trained Ardee Boy (NZ) became the fifth individual winner for his Waikato Stud-based sire Ardrossan at Awapuni.
Ingham Racing homebred impressive at Randwick
The Chris Waller-trained Cigar Flick (Churchill {Ire}) returned to the races in fine style on Saturday at Randwick. She was partnered by Jason Collett, who had to use all his nerve and patience for a gap to open on the rail in a tactically run affair. However, the daughter of Churchill (Ire) proved much too classy for his opposition, winning comfortably by 0.68l from Epic Proportions (Better Than Ready).
Chris Waller’s assistant trainer and racing manager, Charlie Duckworth, was trackside at Randwick on Saturday, “We were a bit nervous as any time you get a small field, you know it will be a tactical affair,” Duckworth told Sky Racing.
“She (Cigar Flick) was very good. She was game to take a run up the fence, and when she let down, she let down lovely. Cigar Flick has come back better this preparation; realistically the races she ran in her first preparation, she didn’t need to improve much to win today (Saturday).
“I think this victory is a good pointer that she’s in for a good campaign. Hopefully, we can aim up and do some bigger and better things.”
“I think this victory is a good pointer that she’s (Cigar Flick) in for a good campaign. Hopefully, we can aim up and do some bigger and better things.” - Charlie Duckworth
Collett, speaking after the victory aboard Cigar Flick, was also complimentary in his assessment of the filly, “I had plenty of horse under me, and I was waiting for something to happen; not much was happening, but I saw a gap up along the rail, and I was always going to win, to be honest.
“Cigar Flick was very soft. She dashed up probably 100 metres under hands and heels. She’ll be there in the spring.”
The Ingham Racing-bred and -raced filly won on debut at Canterbury in December last year and had a preparation that culminated with a placing in the G2 Reisling S. at Randwick.
Cigar Flick is the first foal from the Fastnet Rock mare Palmateer. She was a three-time winner and half-sister to the Group 1-winning filly Fangirl (Sebring).
Churchill (Ire) | Standing at Coolmore
Palmateer and Fangirl are daughters of Little Surfer Girl (Encosta De Lago), a seven-time winner who won twice at the Listed level.
Churchill will return to Coolmore, Australia, for a 2023 fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
Power Of The Brave digs deep at Doomben
Newcastle-based trainer Kris Lees sent his progressive 2-year-old gelding Power Of The Brave (Brave Smash {Jpn}) to Doomben on Saturday. The gelding was sent out as the second favourite in the 1350-metre event with Andrew Mallyon in the saddle, Power Of The Brave dug deep to defy the royally bred Transatlantic (Snitzel) narrowly, while Masterplan (Sidestep) finished further away in third.
It was the second time in the winner’s circle for the unbeaten son of Brave Smash (Jpn), having scored on his home track of Beaumont Newcastle on debut in June.
Power Of The Brave is the fourth foal from the More Than Ready (USA) mare More For Me. She was a dual winner and placed in the Listed Woodlands S.
The gelding hails from the family of Isca (Rory’s Jester). She was the Champion Sprinter in Australia in 1998/99 and claimed the G1 Newmarket H. and the G1 Lighting S.
Power Of The Brave was an $80,000 weanling purchase for Prime Thoroughbreds from the draft of Newhaven Park at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.
Brave Smash (Jpn) | Standing at Yarraman Park Stud
The gelding’s sire Brave Smash has sired 10 individual winner and is the current leading first-season sire by winners this season, and having started his career at Aquis Farm, he has been transferred to Yarraman Park Stud and will stand the 2023 breeding season for $33,000 (inc GST).
Spicy Margs returns with a bang
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Spicy Margs (Deep Field) kicked off her second preparation at Caulfield on Saturday in explosive style. Sent out an outsider in the 1100-metre event with Beau Mertens in the saddle, the juvenile proved much too speedy for her rivals and ran out an ever-extending 2.25l victress over the favoured Sensical (Zoustar) and Elderberry (Bolt D’Oro {USA}) further away in third.
Spicy Margs had not been at the races since November last year when she was unplaced in the G3 Ottawa S. at Flemington behind her much-vaunted stablemate Charm Stone (I Am Invincible).
It was a memorable victory for connections and Mertens, who on Thursday farewelled his father, Peter Mertens, passing after a battle with illness. While an all-women syndicate of around 70 owns the filly.
Co-owner of Spicy Margs, Emma Shelley, who also serves as the office manager at Price-Kent Racing, spoke excitedly to Racing.com after the victory, “I can’t believe it; there are 70 ladies in this horse (Spicy Margs). Mick (Price) sent a message earlier this week saying he wasn’t sure if she would get the 1100 metres, so a lot of the ownership group were unsure whether to jump on her or not,” Shelley said.
“Just before the jump, I backed her, so I was cheering even more. There are some partners of Mick’s long-time owners in the filly and many of my friends.
Spicy Margs winning at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Mick said when we bought this filly that if you bought your husband a lawn mower for Christmas, get him to buy you a share in this racehorse. Spicy Margs' win means so much because a lot of my family is in her.”
Spicy Margs is the second foal from the Helmet mare Crossing The Abbey. She was a winner as a juvenile at Flemington and placed in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies).
The filly is from the family of Lavish Girl (Xtravagant {NZ}), a winner of the G2 Angus Armanasco S.
Connections of Spicy Margs after winning at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Spicy Margs was a $340,000 yearling purchase by Mick Price Racing and Breeding from the draft of Daandine Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Another day, another Russian winner
The Newgate Farm-based Russian Revolution’s outstanding 2022/23 season was continued on Saturday when he sired his 19th individual juvenile winner when the Ryan Balfour-trained Mintulee scored on debut at Gawler.
Alana Livesey rode the 2-year-old filly in the 1100-metre event and was too good for Capulet (Extreme Choice), winning by 1.4l, with On The Scent (Foxwedge) further away in third.
Mintulee is the second foal from the Gemologist (USA) mare Ingrid (USA). She was a three-time winner in North America. Ingrid is a half-sister to Sean Avery (USA) (Cherokee Run {USA}), who won the G1 Alfred G Vanderbilt H.
The filly was a bargain $35,000 yearling purchased by Ryan Balfour from the draft of Kambula Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Russian Revolution will stand the 2023 breeding season for $88,000 (inc GST).
Russian Revolution | Standing at Newgate Farm
Fifth winner for Ardrossan
On Saturday, the Peter Didham-trained Ardee Boy (NZ) became the fifth individual winner for his Waikato Stud-based sire Ardrossan at Awapuni.
The 2-year-old gelding lived up to an impressive trial performance at Foxton in June, and partnered by apprentice Toni Davis, Ardee Boy showed plenty of tenacity to hold off the challenging Crickets Chirping (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) by 1l.
“He really is a lovely horse, a good-looking boy who stands over a fair bit of ground and has a very good action,” Didham said.
“Ardee Boy won his trial three seconds faster than the other 2-year-old heat that day, and when he won at the jump-outs, he went two seconds faster than the open-class gallopers.
“That gave me plenty of confidence, and when he got across to lead pretty easily, I knew he would be very hard to beat.”
“He (Ardee Boy) really is a lovely horse, a good-looking boy who stands over a fair bit of ground and has a very good action.” - Peter Didham
Ardee Boy was a NZ$50,000 yearling purchased by Didham Racing from the draft of Waikato Stud at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
It was a timely victory, as the gelding’s dam Dee I Why (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) will feature in the recently opened online Gavelhouse Plus National Breeding Stock Sale that closes on Wednesday, July 12.
Ardrossan will stand the 2023 breeding season at Waikato Stud for NZ$10,000 (plus GST).
