Juvenile summary: All roads lead to the Slipper for gifted North England

Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

North England delivers the Gift to Farnan

He was third on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate, and on Saturday, North England (Farnan) took control of the $1,000,000 Inglis Golden Gift at Rosehill and held on for a strong win over West Of Swindon (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Extractor (Spirit Of Boom), who rattled home at speed to come second and third. The 2-year-old colt, delivering the first winner for his Kia Ora Stud-based sire, was victorious by 0.53l, justifying his pre-race favouritism that has come off of the back of an electric trial win at Hawkesbury last month.

“He’s been very straight forward and a horse that has just put his hand up early,” said jockey Tim Clark after the race. “Obviously he got to the Breeders' Plate and ran really well. He couldn’t have done much more there apart from win.

“Obviously Henry (Field) and the team identified this race and it’s a short turnaround. He had a little bit of time out and then had to come back in, so it’s a really long prep for him, but he’s handled it really well. I think that attribute is very much like his old man, Farnan, who I had a lot to do with.

“He’s very laid-back and he’s just got the best attitude. Henry (Field) has been a great supporter of mine so it’s good to get a big win for him.”

Looking ahead to the autumn, he added, “Obviously the great thing about winning today is he’s in the (Slipper) so they can pick their mark with him. He can have a good break now and just come back and have one race in mind for him, and he doesn’t have to improve a lot to be right up there with the best of them in six months time.”

Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse could not be more pleased with the performance.

“North England is a bombproof 2-year-old, he does everything right and he is only going to keep getting better with racing,” she said. “He is on his way to the Golden Slipper now.

“His sire, Farnan, was a champion 2-year-old and it means a lot for our stable to produce his first winner!

“Henry wanted to target this race, so Adrian worked out a plan to give the colt a short let up and get him ready. It just goes to show that you can't beat Breeders’ Plate form – it is sensational year after year.”

Bred by Zhongli Thoroughbreds, North England was offered by Valiant Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where he was purchased for $280,000 by China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock, Go Bloodstock, and Trilogy Racing. Henry Field described the colt as “the pick of the (Inglis) Classic sale” when speaking to The Thoroughbred Report after North England’s recent Hawkesbury trial.

North England is the first winner from his dam, four-time winner Our Belisa (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who ran fourth in the Listed Dulcify H., and the family features Listed Chautauqua S. winner A Little Deep (Deep Field). Our Belisa has missed the last two years to Churchill (Ire) and Yes Yes Yes.

Lucky Vega daughter dominates in Inglis Banner

Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) started Saturday off with a bang for her Yulong Stud-based sire with victory in the R. Listed Inglis Banner at Flemington. The Bjorn Baker trainee had trialled twice leading into the event, most recently running a close second at Hawkesbury to subsequent $1,000,000 Inglis Golden Gift victor North England (Farnan) at the end of last month.

It was all about Within The Law on Saturday though, as the 2-year-old filly took off with 50 metres to go and ran down Chisholm (I Am Invincible) to score by 1.25l, with Rohesia (Hanseatic), the first runner for her Rosemont Stud-based sire, battling home into third. Jockey Ben Melham praised the filly’s late burst of speed once he hit the button.

“A lot comes down to how they handle the big days, and she's been well-educated,” he said. “She made significant improvement from her first trial to her second trial.

“She had a sweet trip. She just dropped in behind the speed, but was a little bit wayward when I first came out to make (a run), and just took a little bit of persuading. I put a couple around her backside, and she dropped the clutch and let down well.

“Nice filly – (she's) going places.”

Baker was pleased to continue the success with long-time associates Darby Racing, who own the filly and a number of Baker’s other stable stars, including dual $5,000,000 The Quokka champion Overpass (Vancouver) and September’s G2 Shannon S. winner Amor Victorious (Caravaggio {USA}).

“It’s great to come down here and great to win with Darby Racing,” he said. “They keep finding good 2-year-olds. It’s very important to win these 2-year-old races. Darby puts a lot of emphasis on it, so we need horses up and running.

“I just thought she had good fitness. She’d had two trials and she paraded really well today, so I had a little bit of confidence from that. It was great to get off to the perfect start in a big race, and big thanks to the sponsors Inglis.”

He harkened back to Melham’s success in the G1 Golden Slipper S. for Darby, piloting She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) to victory in 2017.

“Ben Melham’s won the ultimate 2-year-old race, the Golden Slipper, for Darby, so it’s good to get that combo back together.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

The first foal of Dundeel (NZ) mare Contract Signed, Within The Law was a $30,000 purchase for Darby Racing from the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where she was offered by her breeder Yulong Stud. Yulong paid $30,000 in a September 2021 Inglis Digital auction for her dam, who is out of a half-sister to G1 Meydan Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Sterling City (Nadeem) and G2 Tulloch S. winner Tipungwuti (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}). Close relations include G1 Randwick Guineas-winning Kementari (Lonhro) and Silmarillion (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who won the Listed Atlantic Jewel S. in September.

Contract Signed produced a colt by Tagaloa last year and is in foal to Written Tycoon for this season. Within The Law is the second winner for her sire, after Vega For Luck (NZ) (Lucky Vega {Ire}) won on debut in New Zealand last month, and hands him his first stakes win.

Stanbridge and Secret Sort swoop in at Doomben

Secret Sort (Tassort) ran second on his debut last month at Doomben, but the 2-year-old gelding went one better around the same track on Saturday, beating well fancied Canoodling (Capitalist) by 1.76l in the $85,000 QTIS 2-Year-Old H. feature. Trained by Donna Stanbridge, the small-framed gelding has gone down by 0.65l to Cuddles For Kimmy (Spirit Of Boom) last start and clearly appreciated the 2kg weight allowance from jockey Cody Collis this weekend.

“It was a fantastic ride, he rode perfectly,” Stanbridge told Sky Racing. “He hasn’t grown much since he was a yearling, but he’s really a fighter.

“He’s very professional, he just goes round like an older horse. He’s lovely. He will have a couple of weeks off and then we will aim towards the Magic Millions for him.”

The gelding was withdrawn from the 2023 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale and was instead offered by breeders Hopetoun Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Mishani Enterprises purchased him for $50,000. The Mishani prefix is reserved for horses bred under the Mishani Enterprises banner, but Stanbridge explained that proprietor Mike Crooks was "keen" to get his hands on the progeny of Newgate Farm's young star Tassort, hence a rare trip to the sales.

Secret Sort is the seventh named foal from Listed Alinghi S. placegetter Follonica (Flying Spur), dam of G3 Lord Mayor’s Cup winner Bigboyroy (Dissident), and a granddaughter of five-time Listed winner Hint (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}). She delivered a filly by Spirit Of Boom last year, before passing away in April.

Black type ahead for debutante daughter of Super Seth

It was a super performance by debutant La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) in the $40,000 juvenile race at Te Rapa on Saturday, with the filly backing up two eye-catching trials with a 1.5l victory over Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan). Third place went to That’s Gold (Lucky Vega {Ire}), another 0.8l behind Toretto. Co-trainer Mark Walker was pleased with the filly’s performance.

“She certainly didn’t have much go right for her in the running, but it ended up a lovely win, and she showed her class,” he said post-race. “I thought she did very well to keep going through the gap when squeezed up between runners in the straight. That’s a really good sign for a 2-year-old, especially having her first start.

“She actually motored to the line in really good style, and she’s another lovely filly that Dave (Ellis) bought as a yearling off Waikato Stud. We believe Super Seth is a sire on the up and up, and we hold his progeny in high regard.

“For La Dorada, it’s all systems go towards black type races and, of course, contesting the Karaka Million 2YO in January. We’ll give her a week off and then we’ll set about plans for upcoming races.”

Bred by Chittick Investments Ltd and Waikato Stud, La Dorada was purchased by David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) for NZ$190,000 from Waikato Stud’s draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. She is a daughter of G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. winner Gold Fever (NZ) (Savabeel), who also bore the Te Akau Racing colours to third place in the G1 Diamond S. before retiring to the broodmare barn.

Gold Fever is a daughter of G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Gold Rocks (Oratorio), making her a half-sister to Gold Rush (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}), who also won the G2 Matamata Breeders’ S., and Listed Gimcrack S. winner Calaverite (Lonhro), dam of G1 Caulfield Guineas victor Golden Mile. Gold Fever produced a colt by Tivaci last year, and awaits a foal by Ardrossan this spring. Crowned New Zealand Champion First Season Sire last season, Super Seth stands for $45,000 at Waikato Stud.

Talkanco dazzles on debut at Ascot

Talkanco (I’m All The Talk) bounded away with the $80,000 Magic Millions Plate at Ascot on Saturday, scoring a 1.71l victory over Strideaway (Alabama Express), giving trainers Daniel and Ben Pearce a double for the day. She flew down the outside the pack to hit the front with 50 metres to go and could not be caught. An eye-catching winner of her latest trial by 4.01l, the filly continued her association with jockey Chris Parnham, who also rode her trainers’ second winner in the following race.

A homebred for Woodbridge Thoroughbreds, Talkanco is out of five-time winner Calianco (California Dane), half-sister to nine-time winner and Listed-placed Hurrara (Hussonet {USA}) and out of a half-sister to G2 Caulfield Sprint winner Blur (Flying Spur). She slipped last season to Nicconi, and delivered a colt by G2 Rubiton S. winner Marine One this spring. Champion First Season Sire in WA I’m All The Talk passed away in 2022.

“We really liked the way that, in the last trial, when Chris (Parnham) shook her up the last 50 (metres) and she dropped a gear, then put two or three (lengths) on them quickly,” said co-trainer Ben Pearce. “We saw that turn of foot again here today.

“We’ll see how she pulls up. Maybe a race like the Crystal Slipper next.”

“Two-year-olds don’t often win like that,” said Parnham. “I probably haven’t ridden many 2-year-olds that have shown that nice turn of foot down the middle of the track. Her future looks bright.”