Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The G1 Coolmore Stud S., registered as the Ascot Vale S., is one of the great restricted sprint-races in Australia. It provides the colts the opportunity to punch their ticket to a commercial stallion career, while the fillies can also set themselves up for life post-racing by becoming an elite broodmare proposition.
First run in 1863, the race was restricted to 2-year-olds and held in the autumn (usually on Australian Cup Day) until 1965. The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) removed the race from the calendar in 1966 and the race was idle until it was rescheduled to be run as a spring 3-year-old event in 1969.
Champion sprinter Vain was first home in 1969 and he would go on to forge a tremendous career as a stallion, siring a host of elite-level scorers, including Inspired, Mistress Anne, Sir Dapper and Zegna.
Vain, winner of the Ascot Vale S. in 1969
Between 1979-2005, the race was classified as a Group 2, before being upgraded to elite-level status in 2006.
Golden Slipper winners to complete the double include Sepoy, Tierce, Courtza (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}), Manikato, Toy Show (Showdown {GB}) and Vain, while Blue Diamond scorers that have gone on to win his race include Star Witness, Sepoy, Alinghi (Encosta De Lago), Courtza, Zedative, Rancher, Manikato and Tolerance.
The race has long been regarded as one of Australia’s pre-eminent stallion-making races, and with an honour roll that includes Zoustar, Encosta De Lago, Bureaucracy (NZ), Zeditave, Kaapstad (NZ), Rancher, Taj Rossi and Century, that tag is well and truly justified. Furthermore, Coolmore resident Home Affairs, who won in 2021, covered 202 mares in his maiden season in 2022, while 2019 champion Exceedance is on the Vinery Stud roster and his first crop have just hit the track as 2-year-olds.
Gallery: Some of the winners of the Coolmore Stud S. to go on to careers at stud, images courtesy of Sportpix
Legacies
The Lee Freedman-trained Encosta De Lago won the race in 1996 and he has since sired two winners - Alinghi and Northern Meteor. Encosta is also the damsire of the 2015 hero Japonisme (Choisir).
Northern Meteor is the sire of the 2013 victor Zoustar and that horse’s daughter, Sunlight, upstaged her rivals in 2018. In fact, Zoustar provided the trifecta in 2018, with Zousain and Lean Mean Machine filling the placings.
Exceed And Excel provided back-to-back winners in 2019/20 (Exceedance and September Run), before I Am Invincible followed suit in 2021/22 (Home Affairs and In Secret). ‘Vinnie’ is also the sire of Brazen Beau and he won under Joao Moreira in 2014.
Superstar jockey James McDonald has won the past two editions and he will partner Shinzo (Snitzel) on Saturday.
James McDonald will be looking to take a third consecutive victory in the Coolmore Stud S. on Saturday aboard Shinzo | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The soon-to-be-retired Damien Oliver is a three-time winner, having partnered Alinghi in 2004, North Boy (Rory’s Jester) in 2001 and Racer’s Edge in 1994. He has the sit aboard Moravia (Snitzel) this year.
Champion trainer Chris Waller, who trains Shinzo, will be looking to lift the trophy for a sixth time, having been successful with Home Affairs, September Run, Japonisme, Brazen Beau and Zoustar.
Tony McEvoy, who now trains in partnership with son Calvin, has won the race on two occasions; with Sunlight and North Boy. The McEvoys have Veight (Grunt {NZ}) engaged.
Fillies versus colts
Since the race was elevated to a Group 1, the Coolmore Stud S. has been won by six fillies – In Secret, September Run, Sunlight, Nechita (Fastnet Rock), Headway (Charge Forward) and Gold Edition (Lion Hunter).
Interestingly, three of the past five winners have been fillies; In Secret was victorious last year, September Run was much the best in 2020 and Sunlight triumphed in 2018.
The fillies looking to improve the girls’ impressive recent record are Tiz Invincible (I Am Invincible), Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Treasurway (Starspangledbanner).
Gallery: Fillies lining up in this year's edition of the Coolmore Stud S.
The 2023 edition
This year’s race boasts 19 runners, with 16 colts and three fillies set to race for the $1.2 million winner’s cheque. With no geldings in the field and Shinzo being the only runner with a Group 1 victory, there’s much more on the line for connections of this year’s starters from a commercial standpoint.
Interestingly, Shinzo is the only runner with a Group 1 victory on his CV. A son of one of the all-time great sires and a two-time Group 1-winning mare, he became one of the most valuable horses on the planet when winning this year’s G1 Golden Slipper S.
Shinzo is the only runner in this year's Coolmore Stud S. with a Group 1 victory on his CV | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Fourteen sires have at least one runner in the race. They are Snitzel, Exceed And Excel, Extreme Choice, Grunt (NZ), I Am Invincible, Artie Schiller (USA), Harry Angel (Ire), Real Steel (Jpn), Zoustar, Capitalist, Written Tycoon, Toronado (Ire), Xtravagant (NZ) and Starspangledbanner.
Snitzel has three runners (Shinzo, Snapback and Moravia), as does I Am Invincible (King’s Gambit, I Am Unstoppable and Tiz Invincible), while Harry Angel is represented by Arkansaw Kid and Stretan Angel.
Of the 14 sires represented, Grunt, Real Steel and Xtravagant are looking for their first Group 1 winner.
Gallery: Of the 14 sires represented, three are looking for their first Group 1 winner
The most expensive yearling was Snapback. He realised $825,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing buying him from Arrowfield Stud’s draft.
Two colts will race in the China Horse Club jacket, they being Don Corleone (Extreme Choice) and Snapback. Newgate Farm is a part-owner of that pair and they also have a share in Ozzmosis (Zoustar). Meanwhile, James Harron’s silks will be worn by Mexico (Capitalist) and Butch Cassidy (Written Tycoon).
