General Beau was a menacing figure in the parade ring with his commanding physical presence before proving every bit as dominant on the track in the Listed Neds Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for colts and geldings.
Winner of the first two-year-old race of the season in Melbourne when defeating Finance Tycoon at Flemington back in September, the strapping son of Brazen Beau was making his first start since finishing second to Ingratiating in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes at Flemington last October.
With Jamie Kah in the saddle, General Beau received a cosy run tracking the leader Abseiler into the straight. When the leader rolled off the rails, Kah had little option other than to take the shortest route home.
The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained colt kept up a strong gallop to defeat the stylish Extreme Choice colt Extreme Warrior by a half-length with the strongly supported Fighting Sun gelding Gulf Of Suez a length back in third.
General Beau gives connections plenty mull over as they will have to shell out a $55,000 late entry fee for the Blue Diamond .
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uo;He is not in the Blue Diamond, so that is the conversation we will have to have after we hopefully get through a (Blue Diamond) Prelude with him,” Ellerton said.
“It looked like he was in a tricky spot on the turn. Some of those out wide had a bit of momentum on him, but he was good enough to knuckle down and get the job done.
“He has matured since the spring. He had a good break because he was a bit shin sore after his last run.
“Touch wood we have had a faultless prep with him, and hopefully he can make his way to a (Blue Diamond) Prelude.”
Bred and raced by David and Jenny Moodie and Nick and Gayle Psaltis, General Beau is the second winner from four to race out of the lightly raced Lonhro mare Phosphorescence.
A half-sister to stakes-placed Double Jeopardy (Exceed and Excel), Phosphorescence is out of the top-class Nediym’s Glow (General Nediym) whose four wins included the Group III Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes and Group III Blue Diamond Prelude.
Phosphorescence has a yearling filly by Nicconi and a colt foal by Shamus Award and was bred back to Brazen Beau last spring.
General Beau becomes the 11th stakes-winner for Darley Stud’s Brazen Beau who covered 107 mares last spring at a fee of $49,500.
