Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Impact Zone leads all the way
Jockey Tom Sherry led all the way on 2-year-old colt Impact Zone (Exceed And Excel) in the opening juvenile 900-metre scamper at Newcastle on a Heavy track on Wednesday. The Peter Snowden-trained colt was impressive as he accelerated off the corner and flew away from the field to win by 1.68l from the dead-heated pair of James Cummings-trained filly Lipstick (Street Boss {USA}) and Michael Freedman-trained gelding Offenbach (Snitzel).
“He’s obviously a lovely colt with good gate speed, and we came here confident with that run under his belt and he showed good improvement to win,” said Peter Snowden’s assistant trainer Aaron Lau.
“He’s always shown talent at home.” When asked about plans, Lau mentioned the Magic Millions National Stakes. “He’ll probably head to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions race, but we’ll have to discuss it with the owners first.”
And it’s an impressive group of owners with Newgate Farm and China Horse Club leading the charge. They, along with Go Bloodstock and Trilogy Racing, purchased him at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $575,000 from Rosemont Stud.
Impact Zone as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He was a really exceptional type of Exceed And Excel colt (as a yearling) with great size and scope and quality,” said China Horse Club’s Michael Smith.
“He’s out of a tough race mare who won at Group 2 level and had 11 wins, and is from an iconic New Zealand family with Octagonal, Don Eduardo. The family has plenty of class and it was great to see him win in such style today. He couldn’t have been more impressive, and it’s a great step in the right direction.”
“He (Impact Zone) was a really exceptional type of Exceed And Excel colt (as a yearling) with great size and scope and quality.” - Michael Smith
Impact Zone’s dam, Gift Of Power (NZ) (Power {GB}) won 11 races, three as a 2-year-old, and three stakes races led by the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes and two Listed races in New Zealand. She was also twice Group 3-placed. Impact Zone is her first live foal, and she has a yearling filly by I Am Invincible who was withdrawn by Rosemont Stud from this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Michael Smith | Image courtesy of China Horse Club
Gift Of Power’s third dam is the Group 1 winner Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones) who is one of five Group 1 winners out of Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}). Diamond Lover produced Group 1 winners Don Eduardo and Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), as well as placed mare Diamond Smile (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who has produced stakes placed Capital Diamond (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn), who is the dam of Gift Of Power. Capital Diamond’s half-sister Passion Cut (NZ) (Pins) is the dam of recent Group 3 winner Devastate (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}).
Godolphin colt Green Spaces digs deep
First seen just after Christmas when fifth of eight on debut, Godolphin’s juvenile colt Green Spaces (Street Boss {USA}) resumed at Geelong for his second start with a gritty victory. Ridden by Jye McNeil, Green Spaces put 2l on the field, then looked around a bit, but dug deep as Phillip Stokes-trained debutant gelding Regal Award (Ole Kirk) came flying home for jockey Daniel Stackhouse to hold on for a 0.25l victory. The pair were 2l ahead of third-placed Danny O'Brien-trained debutant filly Getta Good Feeling (So You Think {NZ}).
Street Boss (USA) has had another good season of juveniles thanks to G2 Percy Sykes winner Tempted who was third in the G1 Golden Slipper, and G2 Todman Stakes winner Tentyris who was second in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
A three-quarter-brother to Group 1 winner Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) whose sire is also the sire of Street Boss, and a half-brother to Listed winner Winnie Star (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and stakes placed Plymstock (Ribchester {Ire}), Green Spaces is the sixth winner from as many to race for Outdoor (Redoute’s Choice).
Street Boss (USA) | Standing at Darley Stud
A daughter of triple Group 1-winning Champion 3YO filly in Australia Serenade Rose (Stravinsky {USA}), Outdoor won three races and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed pair of Minnesinger (Lonhro) and Entertains (Street Cry {Ire}), who is the dam of French Group 3 winner Egot (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Better than it looks for Guac On
Jockey Cejay Graham clung to the rails at Doomben on Kelly Schweida-trained 2-year-old colt Guac On (Zousain) and he stuck on well to win by 0.63l over Desleigh Forster-trained Meet George (Better Than Ready), with Matthew Dunn-trained debutant filly Shortcut (King’s Legacy) in third. Guac On is the fourth juvenile winner for Zousain’s second crop.
“To be honest, it was well below what I know he can do. It was still a good effort, he rallied up at the 200 metres and toughed it out,” said Schweida of the colt, who ran last on debut on a Heavy track at the start of the month.
“I’m not sure he’s comfortable in the ground either. They said it was a soft, but the times weren’t great, so I wonder if it wasn’t heavier. He’s a big unit too, and I’m not sure how long he’ll keep his balls. He’s a half-brother to El Morzillo.”
Stablemate 3-year-old filly El Morzillo (Star Witness) won the $1 million Inglis Sprint at her last start and was second to Bittercreek (Snitzel) in the G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic this time last year.
El Morzillo winning the Inglis Sprint | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I think he can do a lot more. I’ve seen him do better at home, but we’ll take the win. I’ll see how he pulls up. It’s coming smack into our carnival here. I might give him one more soft run for confidence, and go from there. I want to see him do what I know he can do.”
"I think he (Guac On) can do a lot more. I’ve seen him do better at home, but we’ll take the win." - Kelly Schweida
Guac On and El Morzillo are out of Avocado (Snitzel) whose first foal, 4-year-old gelding Steps Ahead (Written By), ran in the Listed Hong Kong Derby recently and was second at his most recent start. He’s won three races in Hong Kong. Avocado won over 950 metres, and is a full sister to Listed winner Spending To Win, both being out of G2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Madame Trop Vite (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Guac On as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Guac On was sold by Widden Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $110,000 to Kelly Schweida, who had to spend half that for his half-sister from the same vendor. Avocado’s yearling filly by Dirty Work was purchased by Kellie Avison Bloodstock for $130,000 at the recent Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
