Three-year-old summary: Coolmore’s Private Life steals the show in $3 million G1 Caulfield Guineas

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Coolmore-backed Private Life victorious in Caulfield Guineas

Chris Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth paid Coolmore Australia the ultimate compliment after Private Life’s (Written Tycoon) all-the-way win in the G1 Caulfield Guineas.

After Switzerland’s (Snitzel) earlier salute in the G2 Roman Consul S., the powerhouse operation was at it again in the mile feature worth $3 million, with jockey Damian Lane showing all his experience to hold off runner-up Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) and prevail by 0.15l.

“Coolmore are fantastic supporters of Chris and the whole team, whether it’s at Flemington, the Gold Coast, Macedon or in Sydney,” Duckworth said.

“They all play a vital part in making sure we can be successful for 52 weeks a year.”

A $650,000 purchase for Tom Magnier from Arrowfield Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft last year, Private Life is raced by Coolmore in partnership with Wynaus, Westerberg, Mr J Poulin, Sir Peter Vela, Lynque, Woppitt Bloodstock, Peachester Lodge, Rockingham Thoroughbreds, Mr K MacLennan, Aristia Park Bloodstock and Meridian Bloodstock.

His dam Aliyana Tilde (Snitzel) returned to her home stud after winning the G3 Epona S. and narrowly missing out on victory in three Group 1 contests, including second 0.2l in the G1 ATC Oaks. Her unraced daughter Double Deel (Dundeel {NZ}) has produced the Listed winner Noah ‘N’ A Deel (Maurice {JPN}), and she is a full sister to G3 Widden S. victress Teaspoon (Snitzel) and half-sister to Smytzer’s Trish (Geiger Counter {USA}), dam of Listed winner Swish Trish (Redoute’s Choice).

Another half-sister Stella Artois (Geiger Counter {USA}) produced the G2 SAJC Breeders’ S. winner Freestyle (Snippets), grandam of the globetrotting stakes winner The Astrologist (Zoustar).

Private Life is a product of Written Tycoon’s single season standing at the elite Hunter Valley nursery Arrowfield Stud, and Aliyana Tilde has since missed to Admire Mars (Jpn) and Castelvecchio before foaling a colt by Admire Mars last month. Double Deel is expecting a full sibling to Noah ‘N’ A Deel this spring.

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Private Life is the second Group 1 winner (Velocious the other) and third stakes winner (from 17 winners/31 runners) by Written Tycoon out of a daughter of Snitzel, a cross which results in the duplication of the great mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}).

He is the now Yulong-based Written Tycoon’s second Caulfield Guineas winner (Ole Kirk his first), his 16th Group 1 winner and his 65th stakes winner.

Despite Godolphin favourite Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot {GB}) going for a third-consecutive Group 1 title, Lane - who toasted his first Caulfield Guineas victory - said he believed he could hold off the star colt.

“Every horse is beatable. You just have to go out with the mindset of riding your horse as best as you can,” he said.

“It got desperately close on the line. I was just hoping - I thought I held on, but you never want to crow it.

“It’s obviously a race with great prestige. I’ve been close a few times, so to win one is great just to repay a bit of faith in Chris Waller and Charlie Duckworth and the ownership group is a big thrill.”

Coolmore faces Everest decision after Switzerland’s dominant Roman Consul win

Coolmore now has a headache it would like to have after Switzerland’s comprehensive win from the inside in the G2 Roman Consul S. at Randwick.

Do they nominate Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) or Saturday’s 1200-metre sprint winner for their slot in the world’s richest sprint race The Everest, now with G1 status, on October 19?

Coolmore Australia’s principal, Tom Magnier, paid credit to master trainer Chris Waller, who never lost faith in his gifted sprinter after finishing last in the G2 Run To The Rose last start on September 14.

The result - with Nash Rawiller aboard - gives him a tough decision regarding The Everest, but one he is happy to deliberate over.

“Chris has had a huge opinion of this horse all the time. Obviously in the Slipper he got injured (finishing eighth),” Magnier said.

“We came here today with belief… It’s definitely given us something to think about.

“Tonight, we’ll go home, we’ll have a good think about it, and we’ll make a decision.”

Bred by Arrowfield Group/Cloros Bloodstock, Switzerland is one of his Arrowfield Stud-based Champion Sire’s 148 stakes winners.

He is the first foal of G3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf S. victress Ms Bad Behavior (Can) (Blame {USA}), and Magnier went to $1,500,000 to secure him from Arrowfield Stud’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft last year, offering a quick return on the US$600,000 paid for the mare at Fasig-Tipton’s November Mixed Sale in 2019.

Ms Bad Behavior is one of three stakes winners from Cumulonimble (USA) (Stormy Atlantic {USA}), two-time winner of the Listed Arlington Park Lincoln Heritage H., along with Listed winners One Bad Boy (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) and Blessed Truly (USA) (Souper Speedy {USA}). Fifth dam All The Crown (USA) (Chief’s Crown {USA}) was a half-sister to Personal Hope (USA), whose two seasons in Australia yielded the G2 Up And Coming S. and G2 Pago Pago S. winner Paris Dream.

Ms Bad Behavior has remained wedded to Snitzel and since produced two full brothers to Switzerland, one of which was acquired by TFI for $550,000 at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She awaits the arrival of another full sibling this spring.

Master trainer Waller never gave up on Switzerland’s potential after the Run To The Rose disappointment.

“In our eyes he never went anywhere. He just lost his confidence. He got very worked up prior to the race, which is not him,” he said. “He’s actually a very quiet horse. We just had him back fresh, and with these colts every race is so important.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

“I think we just overdid the freshness and we rode him too close. It wasn’t one of my proudest moments. So getting him back on track - it was a soft trial and he’s enjoyed himself, he’s enjoyed life and he showed it today.

“He’s back on track.”

Bellatrix Star eyes G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes

Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) stormed down the middle of the track to take out the G2 Schillaci S. by 0.5l for Mark Walker with jockey Craig Williams bringing up a brilliant hat-trick at Caulfield.

Purchased for NZ$80,000 by David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna Racing at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Phoenix Park of behalf of her Victorian breeder Rob Dunnett, Bellatrix Star had her first five starts over the Tasman, where she was victorious in the G2 Eclipse S.

One of her Widden Victoria-based sire’s 25 stakes winners, she is a granddaughter of G1 New Zealand S. victress The Party Stand (NZ) (Thorn Park), dam of the stakes placed Petition (Foxwedge) and Just Party (Justify {USA}), second in the Listed Tapp-Craig earlier on Saturday. Her half-sister Raadisi (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) is the dam of four-time Group 1 winner Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante).

Her lightly raced dam Alana’s Party (Exceed And Excel) missed to Dundeel (NZ) last spring, foaling a Nicconi colt last October. Her 2-year-old Royal Rendezvous (Royal Meeting {Ire}) was purchased by Te Akau for $280,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Stable representative Ben Gleeson is now “daring to dream” that his 3-year-old filly can give the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at Flemington a shake on November 2.

She also showed she is not just a wet-track specialist.

“Dare to dream - Coolmore. She deserves a crack at it now,” Gleeson said. “Credit to Mark and John Galvin. They thought she’d measure up and brought her over here.

“It was a big jump to make and coming off the back of an injury there’s a question mark how they come back. But once she got through that first month of settling in, she just thrived, got a win on the board (Cap D’Antibes S. at Flemington on September 14) and confidence was up.

“Clearly now she doesn’t need a wet track. She can do it on any ground.”

El Castello dominates Gloaming Stakes, now a Spring Champion contender

El Castello (Castelvecchio) rattled home in the last 100 metres to comprehensively win the G3 Gloaming S. by 1.82l, becoming his Arrowfield Stud-based dual Group 1-winning sire’s first stakes winner.

It was El Castello’s third win in a row, well ridden by Josh Parr for Anthony Cummings, and he has firmed in the betting for the G1 Spring Champion S. over 2000 metres at Randwick on October 23.

“All of these runs have been like a training gallop towards the Spring Champion,” Cummings said.

“He'll be better over 2000 metres and even better again in Melbourne.”

“Today, I think, is probably the first time he's really shown himself properly, professionally, and this day has been coming,” he said.

Following his Gloaming S. win, El Castello is at $4.50 across markets for the Spring Champion S.

Cummings paid $220,000 for El Castello at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale last year, where he was offered by his breeder Cambridge Stud. His dam Word Games (Fastnet Rock) was a winner at 1550 metres and is a half-sister to two-time Group 1 winner Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand). Her grandam Cross Words (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}) is a full sister to G1 Sydney Cup victor Cross Swords (NZ), out of Listed winner Quibble (NZ) (Ruling {USA}), half-sister to three stakes winners, chief among them being the triple Group 1 winner Solveig (NZ) (Imposing).

Word Games has produced Almanzor (Fr) fillies at her last two years at stud, the latest of those making her way into the world in early September.

Raziah secures back-to-back stakes wins

Raziah (NZ) (Niagara {NZ}) produced a brilliant turn of foot to make it back-to-back victories at stakes level when she took out the G3 Barneswood Farm S. at Ashburton.

Fresh off a victory in a slogging finish to the Listed Canterbury Belle S. at Riccarton last month, the Tony Pike-trained filly looked to be struggling when back on the fence and 6l off the leaders rounding the turn for home.

But jockey Sam Wynne kept the progeny of Niagara (NZ) well balanced, before storming along the inside of Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard) and When Stars Align (Zoustar) to win by 1l.

Retained to race by breeders The Oaks Stud, Raziah is the third named foal from juvenile winner Justa Secret (NZ) (Sakhee’s Secret {GB}), and her second stakes winner along with half-sister Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High), winner of the Listed Otago Breeders’ S. Justa Secret is a daughter of G1 Levin Classic victress Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper), notably half-sister to Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}), NZ Horse of the Year 2006-2008 for her seven top-flight wins and also the grandam of Coolmore Stud’s The Everest prospect Storm Boy. Keepa Cruisin produced Listed winner Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and is the grandam of Antrim Coast (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}), who was victorious at Moonee Valley in the G2 Alister Clark S. earlier this year.

The Oaks Stud General Manager, Rick Williams, said he was quietly confident after watching Raziah parade before the race.

“She looked absolutely fantastic, and I thought had improved by three or four lengths off her Riccarton win,” he said.

“She was really tough that day and she has the same sort of grit and toughness that Seachange had, which will stand her in good stead as she gets up in distance.

“I was quietly confident although when she copped the bump just into the home straight it knocked me a bit, however she had her momentum up and she charged home like a good filly.”

Anode bounces back with narrow Listed Tapp-Craig victory

Anode (I Am Invincible) bounced back to form in thrilling fashion, hanging on to win the Listed Tapp-Craig by 0.12l in a brilliant front-running ride by Tim Clark for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

The colt held off a fast-finishing Just Party (Justify {USA}) by a bob of the head at the post after a last-start finish of eighth in the G1 Golden Rose on September 28.

It was the 3-year-old’s first victory at black type level.

Bringing his sire’s total up to 104 stakes winners, Anode passed in at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when offered by breeders Evergreen Stud, who now race him in their colours.

He was the second stakes winner for dam Mysterious Light (Fantastic Light {USA}), after Listed Singapore Derby winner Han Xin - Ozzie Star (Sepoy). Grandam Cirque De Soleil (Danehill {USA}) was a full sister to Fastnet Rock, and left two Group 2-placed stakes performers behind among five winners, Emotional Circus (Elusive Quality {USA}) and Twirl (Lonhro).

Through her unraced granddaughter Dream Cirque (Dream Ahead {USA}), she features on the pedigree of Darling View Thoroughbreds’ young stallion Lightsaber.

Anode was a first-up second to Traffic Warden (Street Boss {USA}) in the G2 Run to the Rose, before finishing unplaced on a soft track in the G1 Golden Rose.

But on a Good 4 track on Saturday, and given a courageous ride by Tim Clark, Anode led for home and was too good in saluting by a head over Justify (USA) colt, Just Party.

“I was always confident he would be able to find plenty under pressure,” Bott said.

“He got a little bit lost when he quickened so nicely and was out there in front by himself, but I knew he would find, and he did.

“We always thought he could get further so we’ll look to take him to the mile and go to the Callander-Presnell in a couple of weeks.”

Snitzel filly impressive in Murray Bridge juvenile contest

It was a two-horse race in the end of the juvenile event at Murray Bridge, where the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Hiatus (Snitzel) skipped away to a 0.7l victory over Meisho (Tagaloa), with 7l stretching back to the rest of the field. The classy 2-year-old filly ran home in 32.88s for her last 600 metres of the 900-metre contest, more than justifying being second favourite in the betting.

Her trainers teamed up with Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) to pay $350,000 for the daughter of the four-time Champion Sire of 2-year-olds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this year, where she was offered by Arrowfield Stud on behalf of breeder Pacific King Pty Ltd.

Dam Albanilla (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was imported unraced in early 2016, and Hiatus marks her third winner as well as her final foal before passing away last year. She descends from blue hen Alouette (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), who counts triple Group 1-winning Albanova (GB) (Alzao {USA}) and 2022 G1 Prix de l’arc de Triomphe victress Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) among her descendants. Alpinista won six Group 1 races among nine stakes victories, and delivered her first foal, a filly by Dubawi (Ire), earlier this year.

Capitalist’s 66th juvenile winner denies stablemate at Ascot

Capitola (Capitalist) turned the tables on his Luke Fernie-trained stablemate Kings Court (Time To Reign) when they met again at Ascot for the (Drummonds Golf) 2YO Initial Plate. Having run second when they trialled together, Capitola comprehensively put the $2.90 race favourite away with a 1.02l victory in the 1000-metre juvenile contest. He is Capitalist’s sixty sixth individual 2-year-old winner, and his first for this racing season.

Fernie paid $110,000 for the son of Newgate Farm’s flagship stallion in conjunction with his father Peter at this year’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, where he was offered by breeders Amelia Park Racing & Breeding. Dam Rio Del Mar (Magnus) won the G3 WATC Gimcrack S. at her second start and descends from the family of G1 Emirates S. winner Titanic Jack (Encosta De Lago) and G1 Toorak H. victor Sober Suit (Noalcoholic {Fr}). She visited Western Australia’s premiere sire Playing God last spring and foaled a colt by him in September. Capitalist stands for a fee of $66,000 (inc GST) at Newgate Farm this year and is anticipating another triple digit crop to be born this spring.