Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Ole Kirk’s roll continues
It was an exciting debut performance at Ballarat on Wednesday, as Legacy Bound, a son of the emerging sire Ole Kirk, delivered a commanding victory. The talented 2-year-old became the eighth individual winner from just 13 runners for his sire, a group that already includes three stakes winners: O’Ole, Prestige Forever, and King Kirk.
Trained by Robbie Griffiths, Legacy Bound showed natural pace and professionalism, racing away to score by an impressive 3.75l. Maldini (Too Darn Hot {GB}) ran bravely to finish second after covering extra ground throughout, while Lady Lonsdale (Fastnet Rock) backed up her debut third with another solid third placing.
Although Legacy Bound had displayed plenty of raw ability in his trials, his victory came as something of a minor surprise. The colt had shown greenness in his early jump-outs, winning two of his first three but still prone to making mistakes.
Pre-race, he appeared a little warm and fired up in the parade ring, but stable representative Corey Smith was pleased with how he handled himself when it mattered.
Ole Kirk | Standing at Vinery Stud
“As soon as he got out there, he settled. Jye (McNeil) put him in a great spot, and he did the rest!,” Smith said.
“We thought he was going to be pretty green, but he exceeded our expectations in terms of his level of concentration—he was great.”
“We thought he (Legacy Bound) was going to be pretty green, but he exceeded our expectations in terms of his level of concentration—he was great.” - Corey Smith
The stable is particularly excited about Ole Kirk’s progeny.
“Robbie (Griffiths) has a lot of time for Ole Kirk. We have three in the stable, and he’s a fan of all of them. It was nice to see the first one to step out on the track make a winning debut.”
Peter Orton from Vinery Stud commented on the win, “We always thought a lot of the colt, he just had a minor throat issue, so we had to pull him out of the sales.
“Robbie is a very good trainer and he had bought a few of us that sale, so we decided to send the horse to him. By Ole Kirk, and out of a More Than Ready mare, he is a lovely cross.”
Peter Orton | Image courtesy of Vinery Stud
When asked about the amazing run that Ole Kirk is having, Orton emphasised, “We really expected them to be back end 2-year-olds, he is up to eight winners now, three stakes winners, and what’s happened is really a bonus.
“We really expected them to be back end 2-year-olds, he (Ole Kirk) is up to eight winners now, three stakes winners, and what's happened is really a bonus.” - Peter Orton
“We could not be happier, we have two in our Easter draft and we should be looking pretty good, the bookings are coming in fast for this spring also.”
Legacy Bound is the fourth foal and second winner for Sanaya (More Than Ready {USA}), a Kembla Grange-winning mare bred and raced by Vinery Stud.
She foaled a full sister to Legacy Bound last season before being served by Exceedance. Sanaya is out of the G2 WH Stocks Stakes winner Astrodame (Flying Spur), and this is the prolific family of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Midnight Fever (Luskin Star), whose descendants include stakes winners Candika (Sebring), Mahisara, Ulmann (Sebring), Woppitt (Danzero), Greyworm (Master Of Design), and Rock Classic (Fastnet Rock).
Winning jockey Jye McNeil was full of praise for Legacy Bound's effort, noting the colt’s professionalism.
“He gave me a fantastic ride,” McNeil said. “It was all pretty straightforward, though he perhaps got a little lost out in front initially. But as the race went on, he grew in confidence.
Jye McNeil | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“I just gave him the rail to follow, and he took care of the rest. He kicked nicely, and I never really sensed any horses closing in on us.”
Bred by Vinery Stud, Legacy Bound was withdrawn from the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and now races in the famous green and white silks of Vinery.
Is It Spectacular lives up to his name in Warwick Farm victory
Is It Spectacular (Dundeel {NZ}) lived up to his name, displaying grit and determination to snatch victory when it mattered in the $60,000 2-year-old maiden at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The Sara Ryan-trained colt sat outside Gaeilge (Exceed and Excel), and with a moderate tempo dictating the race, little changed throughout. It became a battle of toughness in the straight, with Is It Spectacular digging deep to edge out Gaeilge by 0.26l, while Just A Journey (Justify {USA}) found the line well along the inside, finishing another 0.7l behind second place in third.
The race took a different shape earlier in the day when two key contenders, Katsumi Orochi (Maurice {Jpn}) and Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible), were both scratched. Notably, Navy Pilot is set to run in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Ryan has held a high opinion of Is It Spectacular from the outset and was thrilled with his breakthrough win.
“I’ve always loved the horse,” she said. “The 1100 metres last year when he made his debut was always going to be too sharp for him, and it was always going to be for experience with the aim of putting him out straight away.
“He is starting to fill out and is learning all the time, and I loved how he stuck his head out late today. I really do love the animal.”
“He (Is It Spectacular) is starting to fill out and is learning all the time, and I loved how he stuck his head out late today. I really do love the animal.” - Sara Ryan
Ryan also revealed that jockey Chad Schofield had been a strong believer in the colt’s potential from the beginning.
“After his first run, Chad said that he was a serious horse and that he wanted to follow him anywhere, so that gave us a lot of confidence.”
Connections of Is It Spectacular after winning The Chase Maiden Handicap | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
The stable’s confidence in Is It Spectacular has been further fuelled by his work at home.
“He’s been galloping with Matcha Latte and matching him, and he's a Group-quality horse every day of the week,” Ryan said. “We have a really big opinion of him. He has a big pedigree, and he will go over further.”
"He’s (Is It Spectacular) been galloping with Matcha Latte and matching him, and he's a Group-quality horse every day of the week." - Sara Ryan
Looking ahead, Is It Spectacular has a few key targets on the radar.
“He will go for the Anzac Stakes in Melbourne over 1400 metres or the Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury, but the big aim is Queensland and the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes.”
Despite being a colt, Is It Spectacular has proven to be well-mannered and easy to work with.
“He’s a pleasure to have around—you wouldn’t know he's a colt. He is playful but not naughty,” Ryan said. “He has enough spunk without overdoing it.”
When asked if it was a satisfying result for the owners, Domeland, Ryan was quick to comment, “very much so! It was their first city 2-year-old win since 1998. He's going to make an even better 3-year-old, so hopefully, they have lots to look forward to.”
Is It Spectacular is the third foal out of Is What It Is (Stratum), an unraced sister to dual Group 1 winner Stratum Star, a Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Kingston Town Classic hero. She is also a three-quarter-sister to Prague, a dual Group 3 winner now standing at Kia Ora Stud.
This pedigree traces back to speedsters such as Raid (NZ) (Pins) and Night Raid (Vancouver), adding further black-type depth to his family.
Is It Spectacular as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Since foaling Is It Spectacular, Is What It Is has produced a Capitalist yearling filly and a Capitalist colt, before being served again by the same stallion last spring.
Is It Spectacular was secured for $260,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Viribright Racing, purchased from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft.
Engine Room powers to an impressive victory
Engine Room (NZ) (Super Seth) showed an electrifying turn of foot in wet track conditions to quickly put the race to bed, and claim a dominant victory in the $100,000 3-year-old maiden at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, delivering a strong result in a lucrative maiden for local trainer Bryce Heys.
The race was set up by a solid tempo, with Flamingo Girl (Yes Yes Yes) and Jolly Good Fellow (Zousain) rolling along at a brisk pace in front—ultimately too quick to sustain. Their early speed played into the hands of the backmarkers, with Zac Lloyd and Kerrin McEvoy, aboard the two favourites, biding their time at the rear of the field before launching their runs late.
As the field straightened, Engine Room surged down the outside under minimal urgings from Lloyd, displaying an impressive turn of foot. Well-bred second favourite Manukau (Lonhro) attempted to go with him, but was simply no match for the winner finishing 0.84l behind in second place with She Rex (NZ) (Russian Revolution) finishing a further 1.84l behind in third placing.
Engine Room winning the Colours Maiden Plate | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Engine Room looks to have plenty of upside, and he adds to the growing success of Waikato Stud’s in-form sire Super Seth, who has been on a hot streak. The stallion has produced three Group 1 winners in the past month - Linebacker (NZ), Feroce (NZ) and La Dorada (NZ) - highlighting his rapid rise in the stallion ranks.
Trainer Bryce Heys was pleased with the gelding’s performance, noting his progression.
“We have been trying to teach him a few things, and it was a really promising effort today,” he said. “He ran well last preparation, probably his execution cost us in terms of winning races, but today he raced like an improved horse.
“He (Engine Room) ran well last preparation, probably his execution cost us in terms of winning races, but today he raced like an improved horse.” - Bryce Heys
“He has always been a little bit immature, and he’s a horse that has a few tricks. We’ve needed to be patient with him, and hopefully, he can now start getting the results for a great group of owners.”
Heys has been a long-time admirer of New Zealand-bred horses and New Zealand-based stallions, the recent results of Super Seth have only reinforced his belief in the stallion.
“I have been keen on the stallion from the outset. He had a great profile and stood at the right stud.
“I have been keen on the stallion from the outset. He (Super Seth) had a great profile and stood at the right stud.” - Bryce Heys
“I loved him (Engine Room) as a yearling, he was a superior horse. For an older mare (Mary D’Or) to produce a physical type like he was, and being by the stallion, that's why we were really keen on him.
“In addition to that, Elsdon Park is an operation I rate very highly, so this horse fit the bill.”
Heys is in no rush to make firm plans for Engine Room’s next start, preferring to assess how he comes through the run.
Connections of Engine Room after winning the Colours Maiden Plate | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“Timing-wise, we are, where we are. We are not in a hurry to do anything drastic with him. We will let him get over the run, and there will be a couple of options for him.
“Whether it's two and a half weeks or three weeks, we will see in about seven days.”
Engine Room is the eighth live foal from Mary D’Or (Fr) (Verglas {Ire}), who has had seven runners to race, with all of them being winners. Among them is Frosted Gold (All Too Hard), a multiple Group winner in South Africa and Champion Miler in Mauritius, as well as Sunshine Mighty (Murtajill), a Listed winner in Macau.
Since producing Engine Room, Mary D’Or has left a 2-year-old colt by Savabeel named Silver D’Or (NZ), who was purchased by Proven Thoroughbreds for $350,000 at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale from Elsdon Park. She then foaled a Profondo colt last spring before being served again by the Champion Savabeel.
Engine Room as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Engine Room himself was a NZ$150,000 purchase by Bryce Heys from Ellerslie Lodge’s draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale from the draft of Elsdon Park.
