So You Think He’s a G1 Miler!

Tara Madgwick - Saturday March 27

Earlier in his career, talented So You Think gelding Think It Over was tried as a long distance stayer, but kept to shorter journeys this preparation by astute trainer Kerry Parker Think It Over has soared to new heights winning the Group I ATC George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Advertisement

Think It Over wins the G1 George Ryder Stakes - image Steve Hart

A brilliant first up winner of the Group III ATC Liverpool City Cup (1300m), Think It Over followed up with a good second in the Group II ATC Ajax Stakes (1500m) giving connections reason to believe the Group I ATC Doncaster Handicap next month might be an achievable goal.

Taking on weight-for-age company in the Ryder Stakes, Think It Over carried 59kg so was expected to run well without winning, but made a lie of that assumption scoring a long head win over last year’s winner Dreamforce.
 



"Coming into today I just thought, I need him to run well and if he's a couple of lengths from them I'll be thrilled, taking seven kilos off him into the Doncaster," Parker said.

"To win it, sensational. He's just been a great ride, this bloke. To watch him mature and turn into the racehorse he is has been pleasurable for the whole team."

Think it Over does best in a close three way finish - image Steve Hart.

Think It Over has just 52kg under the handicap conditions of the Doncaster and winning rider Glen Boss will be sticking with him.

"He's going to put himself right into contention because that's the kind of horse you need to win a Doncaster, he's very strong at the end of a trip," Boss said. 

A homebred for Bylong Park, Think It Over started his career with John Sargent, but has blossomed with maturity and now has the overall record of six wins and nine placings from 23 starts with prizemoney in excess of $1.3million.

Think It Over is the best of four winners from well bred unraced Zabeel mare Personal Service, a half-sister to Group I winners Universal Prince and Universal Queen as well as the dam of recent Group I ATC Coolmore Classic winner Krone.


 

It’s always been a top class family, but producing two new Group I winners in the past two weeks will have anyone that owns a mare from the Biscay Bird family feeling a little bit excited!

Personal Service has a yearling colt by Exosphere.

Think It Over is the seventh Group I winner for Coolmore based So You Think, who was Australia’s busiest sire in 2020 covering 261 mares at a fee of $38,500.

The former champion racehorse and now leading sire has 17 entries for Inglis Easter.

 

Advertisment

Race Result - The Agency George Ryder Stakes Gr1 1500m

Rosehill Track: Soft(7) Time: 1:30.71
1
Think It Over
- 5g So You Think (NZ) x Personal Service (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: K J Parker Rdr: G Boss 59
So You Think
2
0.2
Dreamforce
- 8g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Eskimo Queen (NZ) (Shinko King (IRE))
Tnr: John Thompson Rdr: J B Mc Donald 59
Fastnet Rock
MM National Broodmare Sale $160,000
Seller: North (Unreserved Dissolving of Partnership), Scone, NSW (As Agent)
Buyer: Ulandra Trust
3
0.3
Avilius
- 7g Pivotal (GB) x Alessandria (GB) (Sunday Silence (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: N Rawiller 59
4
1.0
Cascadian
- 6g New Approach (IRE) x Falls Of Lora (IRE) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Rachel King 59
5
1.9
Gem Song
- 5g Your Song (AUS) x Beautiful Gem (AUS) (Peintre Celebre (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: J R Collett 59
6
2.7
Samadoubt
- 7g Not A Single Doubt (AUS) x Isadora (AUS) (Gold Fever (USA))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: J Parr 59
7
3.5
Dalasan
- 4h Dalakhani (IRE) x Khandallah (AUS) (Kitten's Joy (USA))
Tnr: L Macdonald & A Gluyas Rdr: K Mc Evoy 59
8
3.7
Funstar
- 4m Adelaide (IRE) x Starspangled (IRE) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Tommy Berry 57
9
4.7
Star Of The Seas
- 6g Ocean Park (NZ) x Stella Livia (GB) (Titus Livius (FR))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: S Clipperton 59
10
4.9
Kolding
- 5g Ocean Park (NZ) x Magic Star (AUS) (Danzero (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Bowman 59
11
5.6
Mizzy
- 5m Zoustar (AUS) x Missy Cummings (AUS) (Magnus (AUS))
Tnr: A J Cummings Rdr: Regan Bayliss 57
12
5.9
Dawn Passage
- 4h Dawn Approach (IRE) x Raja Lane (AUS) (Devaraja (NZ))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 59
13
6.1
Junipal
- 5g Reset (AUS) x Palatine Hill (AUS) (Palace Music (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 59
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Sunday September 21
Here is the full list of 66 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
French G3 Winner for Zoustar
The Group III Prix des Chenes (1600m) at Chantilly in France overnight produced a new stakes-winner for reigning champion Australian sire Zoustar with talented two year-old Oceans Four claiming his first Black Type win.
One to Watch – Warrnambool
So You Think is the first sire to hit 40 winners for the season and he did it with a three year-old filly that won easily on debut at Warrnambool on Monday in the Kia Ora Stud colours.
Keeneland September Concludes with Record $531.5 Million in Sales
The 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale closed Saturday having achieved a defining industry milestone. Over 12 sessions, the sale rewrote records by selling 3,070 horses for a total of $531.5 million: the highest gross ever realized at a Thoroughbred auction worldwide. Historic highlights included 56 yearlings bringing seven figures, besting the previous record of 40 set in 2005 and led by a $3
2025 National Thoroughbred Week Launched
National Thoroughbred Week, the newly launched industry initiative designed to bring the public closer to the thoroughbred and our sport, is excited to confirm a truly trans-Tasman exposure, with hosts confirmed across all Australian and New Zealand regions.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 4-6
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 7 – 9
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
Kiwi Cup Contender Headed to Australia
Melbourne Cup aspirant Trav secured his plane ticket across the Tasman with a pleasing performance over 2100m at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Tara Talks Racing - Trials and Racing
This week we’re talking trials after an insightful set of official 2YO trials in Sydney, plus some racing and how Fangirl will eventually go to stud with two Group I wins less on her resume than there should be.