Juvenile Summary: I Am Invincible's big day out as Vinrock takes the Sires’

Cover image courtesy of Yarraman Park

Juvenile stakes double for Vinny

Champion sire I Am Invincible enjoyed a juvenile stakes double on Saturday with unbeaten colt Vinrock winning the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick, while at Morphettville trainer Clayton Douglas debuted Pinecliff Racing’s filly Blue Hotel in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes for juvenile fillies, and she bolted in by 1.63l for jockey Todd Pannell. Second went to Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr)-trained Boa Vista (Snitzel) with 0.5l back to Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Sisstainable (I Am Invincible).

The two fillies in her wake picked up black type to go with their big price tags; Boa Vista was a $1.25 million graduate from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, and Sisstainable cost $450,000 from Widden Stud’s draft at the same sale.

Blue Hotel is a homebred for Pinecliff Racing and became stakes winner number 117 for her champion sire. A half-sister to G3 Southern Cross Stakes winner Kaepernick (Fastnet Rock), who won eight races and $800,000, Blue Hotel’s dam Volcada (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) won the same race, the Listed Dequetteville Stakes, as her daughter.

Volcada's first foal, Dance Card (Exceed And Excel) was also a winner at two and is now the dam of G3 BJ McLachlan Stakes and G3 Black Opal Stakes placed Rome (Pierro). Group 1 winner Spright (Hinchinbrook) is descended from Volcada’s stakes placed half-sister Royal Harmony (Marscay).

Quinella for Farnan in G3 Kindergarten Stakes

The victory of 2-year-old colt North England (Farnan) in Saturday’s G3 Kindergarten Stakes was redemption for his trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott who had picked him out as their Golden Slipper hope from very early in the season. Winner of the Golden Gift in the spring, North England ran sixth in the G1 Golden Slipper last start.

“It's really satisfying. It's been a very frustrating campaign with him. The horse has got so much talent and things haven't necessarily gone right for him throughout the campaign, so to capitalise and finish on a good note, I guess, is very satisfying for the owners and connections,” Bott said.

In the Kindergarten, North England was ridden by Tim Clark and won by 0.22l from Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained colt King Of Pop (Farnan) who survived a protest from third placed colt Beskar (Snitzel) to retain the placing over the Anthony and Sam Freedman trained juvenile.

North England has earned $826,000 in a long campaign that has covered two wins from five starts since he first placed in the G3 Breeders’ Plate back in October. “He's got the great temperament for it. He's just a naturally precocious horse, which he's shown from early days. He's got the mindset and constitution to be able to keep up and sustain that sort of preparation. I think he'll train on as well,” Bott said.

“We'll tip him out now, most likely, get him set for a 3-year-old campaign and hopefully we can have a smooth run at things and he can show his talent. He's been one of our most talented 2-year-olds all the way through and it's unfortunate that this has probably been a bit of a frustrating campaign for him, where things haven't necessarily gone right in the lead-up, so today we were sort of capitalising on the campaign and I think we were able to consolidate with a nice win. I think he was very deserving of that.”

With the Golden Gift not carrying black type status, the Kindergarten was North England’s first black type win and he becomes the third stakes winner for Farnan’s first crop, following King Of Pop and Recuperato.

Purchased by China Horse Club, Newgate Farm, Trilogy, and Go Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $280,000 from Valiant Stud, North England is the third foal of four-time winner Our Belisa (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who ran fourth in the Listed Dulcify Handicap. She has missed both seasons since North England was born and was covered by Stay Inside in 2024.

North England is the first stakes winner in three generations in his family, with his fourth dam, Clowning (Rory’s Jester) producing Listed winner Chuckle (Danehill {USA}), the dam of Group 2 winner Crack Me Up (Mossman) and Group 3 winner Hoofit (Mossman).

Scenic Point continues Written Tycoon’s massive season

Lindsay Park’s 2-year-old filly Scenic Point (Written Tycoon) not only gave her stable a second successive win in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes after they won with Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau) last year, she also become her sire’s fourth juvenile stakes winner this season.

Unbeaten in both her starts, Scenic Point won by 1l for jockey Daniel Stackhouse, with Godolphin’s colt Aleppo Pine (Blue Point {Ire}) getting promoted to second after originally finishing third, just behind the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained colt Mednyi (Capitalist) after striking clear interference reasonably close to the line.

“We didn’t produce her early for the 2-year-old races on purpose, so it might be the best thing for her to put her away,” co-trainer Will Hayes said.

“I think she’s a Thousand Guineas horse. She’s probably one of those hamburgers with the lot at this stage, I think she can sprint and might get the middle distance as well. It’s all upside and it’s based on potential, but what we are dealing with is a very talented galloper.”

Written Tycoon has had a massive season with G3 Pago Pago Stakes winner Skyhook, G3 Ottawa Stakes winner Military Tycoon and G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Tycoon Star who also placed in the G1 Blue Diamond. Scenic Point’s victory took Written Tycoon to 75 stakes winners.

“She’s certainly on a learning curve and I thought what she did today was on raw ability and there’s plenty of upside. The sky’s the limit for her. We will be guided on how she pulls up. The way she won today, you wouldn’t hesitate going to Sydney, but you also wouldn’t hesitate to go to the paddock,” Hayes continued.

“She wasn’t ready early. She has a big frame and is beautiful physically and she screams three-year-old type and so what she’s done now is an absolute bonus. She wasn’t ready for the Diamond and the Slipper, and she told us when she was ready.”

Owned by Judy Wanless, Scenic Point was sold as a weanling in the Edinburgh Park dispersal sale at the Magic Millions National Sale where she was purchased by James Bester and Ridgmont Farm for $190,000. Ridgmont pinhooked her to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, where she made $450,000 to the bid of KPW Bloodstock.

With her two wins from two starts, Scenic Point has earnings over $127,000 with plenty ahead of her. Her dam, the placed mare Ludicrous Mode (Snitzel), was purchased by Yulong at the same dispersal sale as Scenic Point for $160,000. Her 3-year-old filly Spaceballs (Dundeel {NZ}) is a winner and her yearling colt by Harry Angel (Ire) was purchased by Kelly Schweida Racing for $100,000 from Stonehouse Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, who pinhooked him from Yulong as a weanling for $40,000.

Ludicrous Mode is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and young sire Glenfiddich, who placed in the G1 Champagne Stakes and the G1 Memsie Stakes. This is the family of $2.4 million earner Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock) who won the R. Listed Magic Millions Cup twice.

Thee Creek has a bright future

After placing second on debut and fourth in the QTIS 2YO Jewel at his second start, Peter and Will Hulbert-trained 2-year-old gelding Thee Creek (Better Than Ready) put it all together at Eagle Farm on Saturday, winning by 1.25l over 1300 metres for jockey Mark Du Plessis. In second was the Paul Shailer-trained filly On Point Pixie (Heroic Valour) and the Lee Freedman trained filly Profoundly (Farnan) was 1l further back in third.

“This colt is just such a cool dude, nothing fazes him. He was born a good sort, he looks a hell of a lot like his dad (Better Than Ready),” said Will Hulbert.

“All the data we have got off his track work says he will run a mile, in time, so we have just got to teach him to relax. It was a good effort today, he carried a lot more weight than the rest of them and was too good for them.”

Purchased by his trainers for $140,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Lyndhurst Stud Farm, Thee Creek took his earnings to $100,800 from his three starts. He is the third juvenile winner for Better Than Ready this season, who has 111 2-year-old winners in his career which, so far has netted 14 stakes winners and 397 winners.

A full brother to 3-year-old gelding The Hamo, who was a winner at two last season, Thee Creek is out of unraced News Release (Press Statement) who has a 2024 colt foal by Barbaric. News Release is a half-sister to Listed Debutant Stakes winner Moonlight Hussler (Hussonet {USA}).

Unbeaten Snitzel filly makes it two at Ascot

Trainer Adam Durrant looks to have a very exciting juvenile filly with Snitzalatte (Snitzel) who stayed unbeaten at her second start with a strong 1.49l victory for jockey William Pike over the Ashley Maley-trained filly Hard Solo (All Too Hard) with the Neville Parnham-trained colt Statewide (Tassort) in third.

Video: Watch the Snitzalatte race replay, video courtesy of Racing WA

A homebred for Oakland Park Stud, Snitzalatte becomes the 17th juvenile winner for Snitzel this season, led by G1 Golden Slipper winner Marhoona, G1 Sistema Stakes winner Return To Conquer and the G3 Cannonbury Stakes winner Blitzburg.

Snitzalatte is the fourth winner for Macchiato (O’Reilly {NZ}) who is a half-sister to $1.1 million earner and Group 3 winner Grand Nirvana (Scenic {Ire}) whose ten wins were all in stakes class. Macchiato and Grand Nirvana are out of the G3 WATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Park Paradise (Bletchley Park {Ire}).

Wyndstorm promises a big future

Lightly raced 2-year-old gelding Wyndstorm (NZ) (Wyndspelle {NZ}) had placed third on debut coming into Saturday’s Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series over 1200 metres at Ellerslie, and punters backed him from $16 into $7.80. Ridden by Ryan Elliot for trainer Hollie Wynyard, he came from a wide gate, covering more ground than his rivals, but on straightening, he showed plenty of ability and toughness to win by 0.3l from the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained favourite Steezy (Russian Revolution) with the Lance Noble-trained Heloisa (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) running third.

“He’s a nice, big, lovely horse. He’s big and strong, but he’s still a big baby. He drew wide at Waverley, got back, then ducked in and did a lot wrong. But he still went to the line really strongly in that race, so coming into today, he was always going to do something,” Elliot said.

“When I let him stride forward today, he did the rest. He’s such a big, strong horse and he just took me away from them. He’s still on the way up. He’s only going to learn from this and is going to get better.”

Bred to get better with age, he is the third winner for Wyndspelle (NZ), a Group 1 winning son of Iffraaj (GB) who was a winner and Group 1 placed at two but really came into his own as an older horse, winning the G1 Captain Cook Stakes as a 6-year-old. He has 31 foals in his first crop who are 3-year-olds and so far includes two winners, while his current crop of 2-year-olds numbers 25 foals. He has 21 yearlings from his final New Zealand crop, and currently stands in Victoria at Wyndholm Park.

A homebred for Jen Campin, Wyndstorm is the ninth foal and sixth winner of Brambling (Redoute’s Choice), a half-sister to Group 2 winner and three-times Group 1 placed Tangled (Snitzel), Singapore Listed winner Sebrose (Sebring), and a full sister to Listed Randwick City Stakes winner Mauled. Their dam is G1 NZ Oaks winner Bramble Rose (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}).