The regally bred gelding was bought for $130,000 from an 18-strong Godolphin draft in the 2024 Late September Sale, where Darby also secured the stakes-placed 2-year-old Heuristic (Street Boss) for $110,000 who finished for an unlucky fifth for Peter Snowden at Pakenham on Friday after interference in the straight.
A winning formula
In his first start in the Darby white and navy silks, Sandpaper stalked the speed before driving hard late under the urgings of Ashley Morgan to overhaul fellow syndicate runner Flying Destiny (Flying Artie) and secure his first victory since winning a BM78 at Warwick Farm on April 19, 2023. An outstanding achievement by all involved.
“It was an amazing win, wasn’t it,” Scott Darby said.
“It was a great job by Bjorn and his team. We’re having a lot of luck with these tried horses but Bjorn just seems to find a length or so with them. Sandpaper had pretty good form before Darley tried to move him on but it was an 11 out of 10 ride by Ash (Morgan). I just thought he may have been in need of the run, he’s a pretty big horse, but it looks like he’ll be in for a pretty good prep.
“Right now, Bjorn is at the peak of his powers. He has got his systems in place, he’s got great staff and we’re the beneficiaries of that. It’s a small to medium-sized stable, he’s only got 140 stables there at Warwick Farm but it’s working for him. I don’t know what it is but we just seem to be clicking really well together.”
“We’re having a lot of luck with these tried horses but Bjorn just seems to find a length or so with them. I don’t know what it is but we just seem to be clicking really well together.” - Scott Darby
Sandpaper showed plenty of talent early on, winning on debut at Canterbury as a 2-year-old before three luckless runs in stakes grade as a juvenile in Sydney and Brisbane. He then returned as a 3-year-old, prevailing in the Listed Gothic S. (1400 metres) at Caulfield. However, the former Godolphin galloper then lost his way, having another 15 starts for just one win. Nevertheless, Darby is hopeful he can get back to stakes grade in time.
“On the back of that win I’d like to think he can at least hold his Saturday form,” Darby said.
“Although, Robusto was the same – he was probably a little better performed - but we’d have been happy if he won a couple of Saturday races and now he has won a Group 2. Winning with that big prizemoney you are getting a pretty quick return. Sandpaper, I’m not sure if he is the next Robusto but we’re a metro win in already and who knows maybe the Winter carnival up in Brisbane may suit him.”
Robusto | Image courtesy of Inglis
Strategy and timing in tried horses
Darby has achieved remarkable success with tried horses, securing stakes victories with several of them since their change of ownership.
King Frankel (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who was initially trained in the United Kingdom by Mark Johnston, was acquired for $140,000 and brought to Australia by Darby Racing, where he triumphed in the Listed Parramatta Cup and finished in the money in the G1 Tancred S.
Goldman (NZ) (Verdi {NZ}) was obtained for NZ$165,000 and imported from New Zealand, subsequently winning the Listed Roy Higgins at Flemington and recently claiming the Listed Pakenham Cup.
Harpo Marx (Ire) (Galileo) was purchased for 60,000gns (AU$124,600) and went on to win the G3 Premier's Cup while also placing in the G1 Metropolitan. Burning Passion (Northern Meteor) was acquired for a mere $24,000 at an Inglis Mixed Sale and later secured victory in the G3 Hall Mark S. at Randwick.
Gallery: Some of the tried horses Darby Racing have had success with
Caballus (I Am Invincible), purchased for $315,000 through Inglis Digital, won the G3 Eskimo Prince at only his second start for Bjorn Baker. Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), bought for 100,000gns (AU$207,600), has amassed $1 million in prizemoney, while the recent acquisition Robusto (Churchill {Ire}) was secured for $160,000 at the 2024 Early September Inglis Digital Sale and has since won the G2 Ingham and placed in the lucrative The Lakes at Wyong on Saturday.
Darby says the key to their incredible strike rate with tried horses is to buy from the giants of the racing and breeding game.
“Firstly, we like to buy them off the very big organisations, whether they are studs or big racing identities,” he said.
“If you are buying off a syndicator or a smaller owner they are going to give it every conceivable chance to try and get a result, generally speaking. For these bigger studs and owners it’s a numbers game and they can’t keep them all.
“Firstly, we like to buy them off the very big organisations... For these bigger studs and owners it’s a numbers game and they can’t keep them all.” - Scott Darby
“We go through the form, and we like to add to the team, a bit like a football team and just strengthen that group and Sandpaper just seemed like an ideal Saturday class horse.
“Obviously, not every horse in our stable is a Saturday class horse so you are just trying to strengthen that. Using Bjorn, we just seem to get that little bit of improvement, or whatever it is, I mean coming from stables like James Cummings you certainly wouldn’t say there is improvement but maybe it is just a different style of training.
“We try to get them when they haven’t dropped right off their form. Sandpaper was still pretty consistent at the end of his last prep, the same with Robusto.
“You aren’t going from a city trainer to a country trainer, where they may not be able to extract the same sort of form, you are going like for like. That’s the key and just doing your due diligence with vetting.”
“We try to get them when they haven’t dropped right off their form. You aren’t going from a city trainer to a country trainer, where they may not be able to extract the same sort of form, you are going like for like.” - Scott Darby
Finding value in a competitive market
The dam of Sandpaper, Smooth (Lonhro), is a sister to Pierro and a half-sister to Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}), who won the G2 Wakeful S. and was a runner-up in the G1 ATC Oaks and G1 Queensland Oaks, in addition to finishing third in the G1 VRC Oaks. Smooth foaled a colt by Anamoe this season and visited Cylinder in November.
Sandpaper | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
Darby has been busy at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale looking for his next rising stars, but noted it was a hard market at the top end. So far, they have bought nine yearlings for a little over $1 million, averaging at a sales price of around $118,000.
“For the top end stallions, it was really hard to buy, but I thought we got some really good value which is what we’re known for, our top lot was only $220,000.
“For the top end stallions, it was really hard to buy, but I thought we got some really good value which is what we’re known for, our top lot was only $220,000.” - Scott Darby
We do a lot of homework on the types of horses and the systems we have in place. I’m very happy with what we have picked up so far, we’re looking again today.
“We’ll now head to Classic where we have had plenty of success.”
Throughout the years, the Darby Racing team has enjoyed significant success with their Classic graduates, exemplified by $20,000 Golden Sipper-winning filly She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) and the $10,000 acquisition Yankee Rose (All American), a dual Group 1 winner in Australia who was later sold for an undisclosed but substantial sum to Japanese interests for her.
