Canterbury Double for Vancouver

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday May 26

Golden Slipper winning sire Vancouver was represented by an impressive debut juvenile winner at Canterbury on Wednesday in Cape Breton and followed up to win the next race with talented filly Canadian Spice, both horses prepared by champion trainer Chris Waller.

Cape Breton was well educated at the trials ahead of his first outing and found the 1250m juvenile maiden very much to his liking.

Partnered by James McDonald, he surged to the lead turning for home and held off all challengers to win by a neck.
 



“We’ve taken our time with him and he’s very much a work in progress,” said stable representative Charlie Duckworth.


“He’s slowly putting it altogether and we were confident coming here today that we had the right horse.

“He’s going to be a beautiful 3YO colt and we’re hoping a Guineas type of horse.”

A $600,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Willow Park draft for Tom Magnier, Cape Breton runs for a big group of owners including sir Peter Vela in whose colours he runs.

Cape Breton is the most expensive yearling colt by Vancouver.

Cape Breton is the most expensive yearling colt by Vancouver and was bred by Fergus and Delia Doyle and foaled and raised at Willow Park.

Cape Breton is the first foal from stakes-winning Nicconi mare Exclusive Lass, who was bought by James Harron Bloodstock for $460,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when she was carrying Cape Breton.

Her second foal, a yearling colt by Snitzel sold for $750,000 at Inglis Easter this year to Tony Fung Investments and she has a Capitalist weanling colt to follow, so she’s certainly proven a great investment to date!

Vancouver made it a winning double when Canadian Spice posted her second win with a dominant all the way front running performance under Tommy Berry to take the Benchmark 72 event over 1550m by a length.

 



Stakes-placed as a two year-old, Canadian Spice has won over $140,000 in prizemoney and may take confidence from her victory to go on and win more races.

A $600,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft for Woppitt Bloodstock / Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Canadian Spice was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the fourth winner from five foals to race from stakes-winning General Nediym mare Paprika.

Canadian Spice was a $600,000 Inglis Easter purchase.

Paprika has no yearling for the sales this year, but produced a full sister to Canadian Spice last spring and is now in foal to Pride of Dubai.

Vancouver has sired the winners of over $2.2million in prizemoney this season highlighted by stakes--winners Yaletown and Night Raid, plus Group I placed Vangelic and stands at Coolmore this spring at $22,000.



 

Advertisment

Race Result - Blue Point @ Darley Mdn Hcp 1250m

Canterbury Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:15.66
1
Cape Breton
- 2c Vancouver (AUS) x Exclusive Lass (AUS) (Nicconi (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 57.5
2
0.3
Rebel Shadow
- 2c Rebel Dane (AUS) x Red Silhouette (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle (IRE))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: J R Collett 57.5
3
0.4
Tuhinga
- 2g Epaulette (AUS) x Anabarbie (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: B Avdulla 57.5
4
1.3
Russian Ruble
- 2c Rubick (AUS) x Cloudwatch (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: R J Quinton Rdr: S Clipperton 57.5
5
1.9
Penciled
- 2c Written Tycoon (AUS) x Extensible (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: A Adkins 57.5
6
2.7
Stick To Your Guns
- 2g Capitalist (AUS) x Marli (AUS) (So You Think (NZ))
Tnr: Mark Newnham Rdr: Rachel King 57.5
7
2.9
Fenton
- 2g Capitalist (AUS) x Kimigayo (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: G D Hickman Rdr: K S Latham 57.5
8
4.8
Island Press
- 2g Press Statement (AUS) x Island Bay Girl (NZ) (Shocking (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Tommy Berry 57.5
9
6.0
Wasserman
- 2c Lonhro (AUS) x Self Esteem (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J Bowman 57.5
10
7.7
I Am Good At This
- 2c I Am Invincible (AUS) x Jersey Lily (AUS) (Catbird (AUS))
Tnr: M J Dunn Rdr: J Parr 57.5
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 28
Here is the full list of 33 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday August 27
Here is the full list of 42 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Melbourne Cup Dreaming for Kiwi Stayer
Peter and Shaun McKay are dreaming of a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) tilt with their quality stayer Wolfgang, and he will start his journey towards the iconic feature at Wanganui on Saturday.
Via Sistina Honoured at NSW Horse of the Year
One of the greatest seasons of all time has secured Via Sistina the TAB NSW Champion Horse of the Year award. The Chris Waller-trained mare was recognised at Racing’s Night of Champions for her outstanding performance in 2024/2025 which included equalling Winx’s record of seven Group 1s in a single season.
Breeding to Win - 2025 G1 Memsie Stakes
The big guns step out and spring is on in earnest when the Memsie (1400m WFA) rolls around and what a cracking field we have in 2025 for the first G1 of the Southern spring with 11 runners and 10 are G1 winners!
Vale, Naturale
On our recent trip to Victoria for the stallion parades we had the pleasure of staying at Gilgai Farm where we met the lovely Naturale, the unraced sister to Black Caviar, who had a difficult life and achieved fame and fortune as the dam of champion sire Ole Kirk.
Stars on Show at Caulfield Spring Opener
The 2025 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival officially bursts out of the gates this Saturday with the Stow Storage Caulfield Spring Opener, headlined by the first Group 1 of the season, the $750,000 Stow Storage Memsie Stakes.
One to Watch – Gosford
He’s big and beautiful and it looks like the patient approach might be about to pay off for this talented I Am Invincible four year-old who won on debut at Gosford on Friday.
Ruling Court Dies of Laminitis
Hugely talented Justify colt Ruling Court has been a headline horse since May last year when Godolphin paid €2.3million for him at the Arqana Breeze Up Sale and he is back in the headlines overnight with the tragic news of his euthanasia due to laminitis.
Up and Coming Well Named - So Who Are These Guys?
The $250,000 Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday is a race well named with a field of eight colts and geldings set to line up and while none are stakes-winners yet, one of them will be after the weekend.