It was an understandably emotional Adam Duggan welcoming Diamond Diesel (Mossman) back to scale after his barnstorming victory in the Listed Civic S. - a race transferred from Saturday's washed out Randwick meeting.
The first stakes winner for the Gosford trainer, Diamond Diesel has had a chequered career. Bred by Echo Beach Bloodstock, he was sold by Vinery Stud to Hawkes Racing for $65,000 at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Off a Rosehill trial victory in January 2020 he made his way to Hong Kong where he had just the one unplaced run - his career with Caspar Fownes brought to a quick close with the diagnosis of a fractured shoulder.
Courtesy of a recommendation from Mark Newnham, Diamond Diesel ended up in the Duggan stable and 13 months after his Hong Kong debut he was taking his place as a five-year-old - winning first up at Gosford in July 2022.
Winning his next start at Newcastle, Diamond Diesel has performed consistently since - winning another five races before taking his place in the Civic S. - his second crack at stakes level having been a game fifth off a wide run in the Listed Takeover Target S. in mid-May.
Diamond Diesel | Image courtesy of Racing NSW
“He is a horse who fills you with a lot of confidence,” Duggan said - “he is not tricky to train, you just leave him alone and space his runs.”
“His track rider Chris O'Brien does a fantastic job with him and he probably wouldn't be winning these races without him.”
The winner of over $540,000 in stakes, Diamond Diesel has improved throughout his career with Duggan noting that “being left alone for so long he just needed to learn a bit of race craft - the ability has always been there and has he has gained more experience he has kept raising the bar.”
“His (Diamond Diesel) track rider Chris O'Brien does a fantastic job with him and he probably wouldn't be winning these races without him.” - Adam Duggan
Riding the bay for the first time, Andrew Adkins said he was confident throughout the race - “he got the perfect run and got into a really good rhythm.”
“We just had to wait a bit in the straight and find that bit of fresh air and when he did he exploded - I had a lot of horse underneath me, he just let rip.”
A couple of nice 2YO debutants at sale
He was passed in at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and that is looking to be a cloud with a definite silver lining - Gallant Son (Written Tycoon) at Sale today racing away to an easy debut win for his owner/breeders the Esplin family.
Contesting what looked to be a strong provincial two-year-old contest, the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman trained colt gave nothing else a chance as he easily put six lengths on his rivals.
“On what he had done at home I didn't think we'd be that close in the run,” jockey Luke Nolen reported, “but he stepped with purpose and travelled well outside the leader.”
Nolen said he had been confident that Gallant Son would be “hard to beat” at his first start but the ease of win took him by surprise - “I will have to reevaluate him!” he said.
Whilst handling the soft going, Gallant Son is a horse who “will probably be even better on top of the ground.
“On what he (Gallant Son) had done at home I didn't think we'd be that close in the run,” jockey Luke Nolen reported, “but he stepped with purpose and travelled well outside the leader.” - Luke Nolen
“He is a nice mover who continues to improve,” Nolen said, “and he has a beautiful nature - his mum was the same. I had a bit to do with her at Pete's and I think this bloke has a lot of her traits.
“He has ticked one box being a two-year-old winner and no doubt on that effort today he will win better races.”
Gallant Son is the fourth live foal and second winner for the Esplin family's G1 Coolmore Classic winner Plucky Belle (Mossman) who Luke Nolen won three races on including the G3 Maybe Mahal S.
Luke Nolen | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Also dam of the metropolitan winner King Ratel (Animal Kingdom {USA}), Plucky Belle was served last spring by Brave Smash (Jpn) having foaled a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt in September -missing to that same stallion the previous year.
Plucky Belle is a daughter of the dual Group winner Winning Belle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who has produced another three stakes performers including the promising three-year-old The Autumn Belle (The Autumn Sun).
Gallant Son boasts an interesting pedigree with his sire and dam both descendants of the 1902 born mare Amorelle (Phoebus Apollo {GB})
Eternal charges
Charging home after drifting back in running, Eternal (Epaulette) looked to have a bit in hand recording an impressive debut victory at Sale - a nice type for the Chris Waller stable and her owner/breeders Rosemont Stud.
Big odds despite a couple of jump-out placings, the promising filly gave her rider Jye McNeil 'a lovely feel'.
“From the barrier I covered her up and gave her a good experience - she did not work and had an easy run through but I really like the way she quickened and put the field away,” he said.
“It is a wintery, rain effected track and she needed a bit of help through that but she built up her confidence and had a bit more to offer.”
One of the 50 foals from her sire's final Australian crop (the dual Group 1 winner Epaulette exported to Turkey in October 2021), Eternal is the fourth live foal for the G3 Keith Nolan Classic and Listed Scone Cup winner Cameo (Shamardal {USA}).
“From the barrier I covered her up and gave her a good experience - she did not work and had an easy run through but I really like the way she quickened and put the field away.” - Jye McNeil
Also dam of the city winners Jewellery (Lonhro) and Silhouette (Teofilo {Ire}), she was purchased by Rosemont for $210,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.
A half-sister to the G1 Queensland Derby winner Kukeracha (NZ) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Cameo was served last spring by Russian Revolution having missed to Extreme Warrior the previous year. Her Hanseatic yearling colt sold for $375,000 at the Magic Millions in January.
Eternal is bred on a 4 X 6 cross of the four times Group 1 winning mare Glorious Song (Can) (Halo {USA}) via her globe-trotting multiple Group 1 winning son Singspiel (Ire) and her successful sire son Rahy (USA).
Jye McNeil | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
He is the 19th (from 28 runners) winner by Epaulette out of a mare carrying a Rahy strain, the G3 Ottawa S. winner Aryaaf also bred this way.
Epaulette double
Epaulette was also represented by a nice winner at Warwick Farm - the $120,000 Inglis HTBA May Sale graduate Detendu breaking through at start number five having been in the placings at his first four starts for the David Pfieffer stable.
Bred by Premier Bloodstock, he is the third live foal for the Goulburn winner Rosa's Magic (Sebring) whose G3 Merson Cooper S. winning dam Rosa's Joy (Rory's Jester) produced the Listed winner Members Joy (Hussonet {USA}) is dam of the G2 Percy Sykes winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible) - in turn dam of the Listed winner Hip Hip Hurrah (Snitzel).
Missing last spring to Extreme Choice, Rosa's Magic foaled a Farnan colt last spring whilst her Merchant Navy yearling colt was purchased by David Pfieffer for $20,000 at the Adelaide Magic Millions.
“He could not have been any more impressive today,” jockey Tim Clark said of Detendu - “he travelled up really well and was in for the fight.
“He did a good job and can build confidence from that,” added Pfieffer - “chasing the speed was probably the key to him today.”
Milestone for Kristen Buchanan
In recording her second win from four starts - Winning Proposal (Shalaa {Ire}) provided her trainer Kristen Buchanan with a career milestone, being the stable's 300th winner.
“I am very proud of the team,” Buchanan enthused - “they do an enormous job and I am very grateful.
Buchanan has been fan of Winning Proposal from the moment she entered the stable - “she has been one out of the box since she arrived, just a natural. She is just a little greyhound type but she has a good will to win.”
“She is strengthening up and is only going to continue to improve,” she said - and jockey Nash Rawiller agreed.
“I can see her going on to better things as she gets older and more experienced,” he reported.
“She is a busy little thing - very competitive, she wants to be a racehorse no doubt about that. The team have a nice filly on their hands.”
“She (Winning Proposal) is a busy little thing - very competitive, she wants to be a racehorse no doubt about that. The team have a nice filly on their hands.” - Kristen Buchanan
Bred by Echo Beach Bloodstock, Brian Singer and Domenic Romanelli, Winning Proposal was sold by Vinery Stud to Vardy Thoroughbreds for $50,000 at the 2023 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Winning Proposal is the third foal and first winner for the Murwillumbah winner Proposal (More Than Ready {USA}) who was served last spring by Headwater after foaling a colt by Star Turn in late August.
Kristen Buchanan | Image courtesy of Wyong Race Club
Proposal is a daughter of the G1 Doncaster H. and G1 Myer Classic winner Sacred Choice (Choisir) from the family of the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Marauding (NZ).
Another one for Tassort
Winning two Rosehill trials in preparation for his return as a gelding, Mawjood (Tassort) proved too strong for the short priced favourite Tarpaulin (Harry Angel {Ire}) in the 1100m contest at Warwick Farm.
The tenth debut crop winner (from 26 runners) for his Newgate based sire, the Emirates Park home-bred is the second last foal produced by the dual city winner Maysoon (Eavesdropper {USA}) who died last year.
Her final foal is a Flying Artie filly and she is dam another three winners including the Group 3 placed Mayaaseh (Exceed And Excel).
“I was taken by him when I trialled him,” Mawjood's jockey Zac Lloyd said - “and it was nice to see him do it today, it was a very, very good win.”
“I was a bit worried when the barriers came out,” he admitted, wary of jumping from gate 12.
“I was taken by him (Mawjood) when I trialled him... and it was nice to see him do it today, it was a very, very good win.” - Zac Lloyd
“He was three and four wide from that barrier so for him to be so strong late was a good effort.
“And by the look of him - he still has a wintery coat and he is a bit big - he is only going to improve, it was a good training effort.”
Mawjood boasts an interesting pedigree, line-bred to his own fifth dam My Charmer (USA) (Poker {USA}) whose son Lomond (USA) is the dam sire of Tassort's dam sire Exceed And Excel.
Smart one for the late Arrogate
The Griffiths de Kock stable, courtesy of purchases by Mat's father Mike, have had three runners by the late, great Arrogate (USA) in their charge (the only three Australian runners by that popular grey) and they have a 100 per cent strike rate with them - Sacredarro successful in gutsy style at Sale.
Sent out an odds-on favourite having been game in the placings at his first two starts, the promising three-year-old did not have an ideal run from a wide gate but he showed good determination over the final stages - appreciating a step up in distance.
“He had a hard run," said the stable's Reid Balfour - “he came out of a wide gate and they weren't going to let him in.
“The barrier limited our options," said his in-form (four winners for the day) rider Jye McNeil, "and it left him in a position where he was constantly working."
“But he is very honest, very genuine - and he dug deep and gave me everything he had, it was a nice win.”
“But he (Sacredarro) is very honest, very genuine - and he dug deep and gave me everything he had, it was a nice win.” - Reid Balfour
Sacredarro is the seventh winner for the winner Hidden Rabid (Arg) (Hidden Prize {USA}) whose son Rabid In The Rye (Arg) (Catcher In The Rye {Ire}) won two Group 1 races in Argentina.
Also dam of the Listed winner Rayo Rye (Arg) (Catcher In The Rye), Hidden Rabid is a daughter of the Group 1 mare Rabanilla (Arg) (Friul {Arg}).
