High Chaparral's Desert Lord Claims Goldmarket

Mark Smith - Friday August 27

With Ef Troop taking on the favourite Racecourse Road, Friday's $125,000 Listed Goldmarket Quality (1200m) at the Gold Coast was run at breakneck speed, which set it up perfectly for the fast-finishing Desert Lord.

Ridden by Michael Cahill, the 7yo son of High Chaparral (IRE) came from midfield with a barnstorming finish to defeat the 4yo Wandjina gelding Tramonto by a long-neck with a further half-length back to the 7yo I Am Invincible gelding Totally Charmed in third.

Advertisement

Group 1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) was carrying plenty of condition at his first start in 42 weeks and will take plenty of benefit from his fourth.

Desert Lord has missed a place just once in eight starts since he transferred to David Vandyke in August last year.

The Sunshine Coast conditioner was saddling his third winner on the day.

With his first stakes success, Desert Lord advances his record to eight wins, three seconds and five thirds from 26 starts with earnings of $441,530.

Desert Lord was in the Coolmore draft at Easter 2016 but was withdrawn

Desert Lord opened up favourite for an open handicap over 1350m at Doomben on Saturday, but Van Dyke said the Goldmarket was always his mission.

"I thought the 1200m with 54kgs in a race where the pace was always going to be on looked a lovely race for him, and it was," Vandyke said.

"He’s got an awkward action. He holds his head up a bit, so it’d s hard to know how he is travelling, but there was good pace on. When Michael got him to the outside, I thought he had done nothing and would find the line.

“He loves being a Queenslander and is enjoying life. He has been in a good headspace this week and is a happy horse.”

A homebred for Steven Dillon and partners, Desert Lord is a half-brother to three winners led by Acrostar (Danehill Dancer), a dual Listed stakes-winner in South Africa.

Dillon purchased Desert Lord’s dam Nova Star for just $13,500 at the 2004 Gold Coast Magic Millions, and what an investment she proved to be.

The daughter of Iglesia won seven races highlighted by defeating Fashions Afield in both the Group 1 Winter Stakes and Group II Queensland Guineas. She also captured the Group II QTC Cup on the way to banking over $886,000.

Now well into the veteran's category, Nova Star has a yearling filly by Speith and visited  Nom Du Jeu in January.

Desert Lord becomes the 134th stakes-winner for the late Coolmore stalwart High Chaparral (IRE), who died in 2014.

High Chaparral (IRE)

Advertisment

Race Result - Goldmarket Qlty LR 1200m

Gold Coast Track: Good(4) Time: 1:08.62
1
Desert Lord
- 7g High Chaparral (IRE) x Nova Star (AUS) (Iglesia (AUS))
Tnr: David Vandyke Rdr: M Cahill 54
2
0.4
Tramonto
- 4g Wandjina (AUS) x Sunset Express (AUS) (Success Express (USA))
Tnr: Jonny Field Rdr: Jag Guthmann-Chester 55
3
0.9
Totally Charmed
- 7g I Am Invincible (AUS) x The Look Of Love (AUS) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: S O'Dea & M Hoysted Rdr: Ms S Thornton 54
I Am Invincible
4
3.9
Alligator Blood
- 5g All Too Hard (AUS) x Lake Superior (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Billy Healey Rdr: James Orman 61
5
4.0
Macewen
- 6g Rothesay (AUS) x Gogoreilly (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: R Fradd 54
6
5.0
Snowzone
- 5g Snitzel (AUS) x Snowdrift (FR) (Polish Precedent (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: J Byrne 54
7
5.1
Racecourse Road
- 6g Show A Heart (AUS) x Kidnapper (AUS) (Red Ransom (USA))
Tnr: K M Schweida Rdr: Ron Stewart 54
8
5.2
Leroytheconqueror
- 6g Love Conquers All (AUS) x Tres Rosa (AUS) (Show A Heart (AUS))
Tnr: Damien Batters Rdr: Jake Bayliss 54
9
5.4
Snitch
- 7g Lope De Vega (IRE) x Quaffle (AUS) (Hurricane Sky (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Jaden Lloyd 54
10
6.2
Freddie Fox Trot
- 7g Foxwedge (AUS) x Tamieka (AUS) (Viscount (AUS))
Tnr: L D Kelly Rdr: Taylor Marshall 54
11
7.2
Ef Troop
- 6g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Limealicious (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Kyle Wilson-Taylor 54
More Reading...
Capitalist 2YO Wins for Doyle
Nathan Doyle and his team would be bubbling with excitement surrounding the return of their unbeaten G1 star Private Harry, but as they say ‘little fish are sweet’ and the stable were in the winner’s circle at Wyong on Tuesday with a two year-old son of Capitalist.
Hong Kong Buyer Secures Top Lot June (Late) Sale at $500,000
The impact of the recent success in Hong Kong of horses sourced on Inglis Digital was in evidence today, with the top lot and the third top lot bought by Hong Kong-based owners.
Nice 2YO Winner for Vinery Value Sire
He might be the least expensive sire on the Vinery roster this spring at a fee of just $6,600, but Headwater gets his share of winners and produced a new two year-old winner at Doomben on Wednesday.
Tassort Filly Too Classy at Randwick
Stakes-placed two starts back in the Listed Woodlands Stud Stakes at Scone, talented 2YO Tassort filly Wollzeile proved too classy at Randwick on Wednesday.
Storm Boy Retired to Coolmore Australia
An utterly dominant winner of the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic, the hugely exciting son of the international sire sensation Justify is set to join the Coolmore Australia roster in 2025.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday June 25
Here is the full list of 42 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Irish Oaks Possible for Royal Ascot Fairytale Filly
The biggest story in terms of our audience reads from Royal Ascot last week was by far and away the one on the Aussie owned underdog three year-old filly Cercene, who captured the Group I Coronation Stakes.
Positive Build Up to Karaka Weanling Sale
Stars of the future go under the hammer at Karaka on Thursday with New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale set to commence at 10am.
One To Watch – Randwick
After impressing on debut, the Chris Waller trained 3yo Super Seth filly Frosty Girl (NZ) took on the older mares on the Kensington track, remaining unbeaten with another stylish victory to become Breednet’s One To Watch.
Raging Force Bolts in at Randwick
Cosmic Force 2YO Raging Force was sent around in the Group III ATC Breeder’s Plate on debut last spring finishing sixth to King Kirk and coming out of the race with an injury, but time and a patient approach has put his career back on track.