Shock G1 Australian Guineas Win for Foxwedge Colt

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 27

The Group I VRC Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington Saturday featured a crack field of colts including Group I winners Tagaloa and Ole Kirk, but victory went to unheralded Foxwedge colt Lunar Fox, who started at the odds of 300-1.

Advertisement

Well done Lunar Fox - image Grant Courtney.

Trained by Paul Preusker of Surprise Baby fame, Lunar Fox started his career with Karina and Terry O’Sullivan for whom he won the Group II VRC Sires Produce Stakes as a two year-old.

His form last spring was inconclusive with his best effort a fifth in the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas beaten three and a half lengths.

Resuming from a spell in the Group III VRC CS Hayes Stakes earlier this month, Lunar Fox failed to flatter at odds of 150-1 and connections elected to try him in blinkers as a last ditch attempt to bring out his best for the Australian Guineas.
 



Lunar Fox powered to the line for Michael Dee to score a half length win over Cherry Tortoni with Tagaloa in third place taking his overall record to three wins from 13 starts with prizemoney topping $870,000.

It was the first Group I win for trainer Paul Preusker and fifth for Michael Dee.
 



Paul Preusker was not at the track but his partner Holly McKecknie was beyond happy with the win.

“Wow, it’s a bit surreal really at this stage, I can’t believe it,” she said.

“He’s always had a lot of ability, but last start he just raced below par and we couldn’t find any issues, so we did the old trick of the blinkers and it seems to have done the job!”

A three-time veteran of the sales ring, Lunar Fox could not find a buyer as a weanling at the Great Southern Sale, as a yearling at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale before TKO Racing shelled out $40,000 at the Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Kelly Thoroughbreds.

He is the best of two winners out of the stakes-winning import Grant’s Moon (USA), a Malibu Moon mare that died last year leaving a yearling filly by Frosted (USA) as her final foal.

Lunar Fox is the fifth Group I winner for Woodside Park Stud’s Foxwedge and is his first winner at the elite level that is a colt with the others – Run Fox Run, Foxplay, Volpe Veloce and Urban Fox - being female.

Foxwedge

Foxwedge was popular with Victorian breeders last spring covering 114 mares at a fee of $11,000.


 

Advertisment

Race Result - Kennedy Australian Guineas Gr1 1600m

Flemington Track: Good(3) Time: 1:35.86
1
Lunar Fox
- 3c Foxwedge (AUS) x Grant's Moon (USA) (Malibu Moon (USA))
Tnr: P A Preusker Rdr: M J Dee 57
Foxwedge
2
0.5
Cherry Tortoni
- 3g Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Tortoni (AUS) (Strategic (AUS))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: W Egan 57
3
0.8
Tagaloa
- 3c Lord Kanaloa (JPN) x Vasilissa (JPN) (Heart's Cry (JPN))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: L Currie 57
4
0.9
Embolism
- 3c Shamus Award (AUS) x Peggie's Choice (AUS) (Ihtiram (IRE))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: D Oliver 57
5
1.9
Zou Dancer
- 3f Zoustar (AUS) x Investigates (AUS) (Strategic (AUS))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: Jamie Kah 55
6
2.6
Beltoro
- 3g Toronado (IRE) x Believabeel (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: Robert Hickmott Rdr: Jack Hill 57
7
3.1
Jet Propulsion
- 3c Rubick (AUS) x November Flight (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Jye McNeil 57
8
3.9
Here To Shock
- 3c Shocking (AUS) x Frescoes (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: Brent Stanley Rdr: L Nolen 57
9
4.0
Aysar
- 3c Deep Field (AUS) x Miss Interiors (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: T Dabernig & B Hayes Rdr: Damian Lane 57
10
5.0
Ole Kirk
- 3c Written Tycoon (AUS) x Naturale (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: K Mc Evoy 57
11
5.1
Cambourne
- 3c Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Dyna Slam (USA) (Grand Slam (USA))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M Zahra 57
12
5.4
Grandslam
- 3c Myboycharlie (IRE) x Mine Game (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 57
13
5.6
Dom To Shoot
- 3g Shooting To Win (AUS) x Princess Rouge (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: S & J Casey Rdr: W Pike 57
14
7.3
It'sourtime
- 3g Time For War (AUS) x Zedoble (AUS) (Zeditave (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: Ben Allen 57
15
27.3
Ironedge
- 3g Shamus Award (AUS) x Australia Day (AUS) (Sebring (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M J Walker 57
More Reading...
Bates gets creative at The Valley
Six-year-old gelding The Creator led throughout to claim the Ladbrokes Top 2/3/4 Betting Handicap (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday under a perfect Logan Bates ride.
Via Sistina Joins Two Group One Legends
Via Sistina is certainly in rare air and if you want another stat to put her in perspective – yesterday’s Winx Stakes win saw her become one of only three horses in the last 40 years to win eight Group One races in a 12-month period.
Future Bright for Danica Guy
Group Three winner Lupo Solitario has returned to New Zealand, and the care of his former trainer Danica Guy, following a six-month racing stint in Hong Kong, while the stable are also excited about a first starter this weekend by Justify (USA).
First Stakes Success For Cafe Millenium
While having just turned 5, former Sydneysider Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt), who now calls Lindsay Park home, broke through for his first black type victory on Saturday, winning the Listed SAJC Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville in impressive fashion.
Carlyon Stakes To Baraqiel – Second SW For Snitzel
Successful in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) last time in, Sniztel’s 7yo son Baraqiel continued his outstanding record at the Moonee Valley circuit, resuming to win the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) first up, highlighting potential Group 1 spring aims.
Wootton Bassett Juvenile G2 Double
Wootton Bassett (GB) featured in Ireland overnight at The Curragh with two stakes-winning juveniles, Constitution River taking out the the Group II Futurity (7f), while the Group II Debutante (7f) went to the filly Composing, who comes from the family of Amelia’s Jewel.
Wuddzz Caps Fine 24 Hours For Dwyer
Handy stayer Wuddzz came with a well-timed run under Tim Clark to land the Gold Coast Turf Club Trophy (2400m) at Randwick.
Widden Parade Braves the Rain
Widden Stud’s annual series of stallion parades in the ‘Valley of Champions’ kicked off as scheduled on Thursday with the reigning Champion Australian Sire Zoustar the centre of attention, while the world’s fastest horse Cogburn (USA) also made his debut in Australia.
Second Stakes-winner for Palace Pier
Kingman’s champion son Palace Pier (GB) only shuttled for one season to Darley Australia with his first 2YO’s to race here this season and in Europe he’s doing a pretty good job with his second stakes-winner emerging overnight at York.
Winning Return for the Best in Australia - Via Sistina
Set to be crowned Australia’s Horse of the Year for last season, the mighty Fastnet Rock mare Via Sistina (IRE) returned on a rain soaked track at Randwick on Saturday to win the $1million Group I ATC Winx Stakes (1400m).