With most attention focused on the three-year-olds at Sandown, a couple of promising youngsters were put to the test at Gosford on Wednesday.
Following a 26-week break, the team Hawkes-trained, Frosted (USA) gelding Kooled overcame his waywardness to defy the $650,000 I Am Invincible filly California Surreal by a half-head in the Earthlight @ Darley Maiden (1200m).
If Kooled did the right thing by the sponsor, the same can be said for the Headwater colt Tristate who confirmed the promise he had shown in his last start win at Randwick with a sparkling three and a quarter length triumph in the Vinery (Bm72) over 1100m.
Ridden by Jason Collett, the Anthony Cummings-trained colt defeated the 4yo star Witness gelding Isalute with the 3yo Fastnet Rock gelding Park Avenue a head back in third.
“He was good last start, but he had improved. He has a great temperament, which always helps,” stable representative Jonathan Crowley said.
“He’s very versatile, very professional, so we will see where he goes from here.
“Anthony has always thought highly of him, but he needed that bit of time to come into himself, which he has done now. It’s really exciting.”
Far from disgraced when unplaced in the Group II Skyline Stakes and Group III Pago Pago Stakes last season at two, Tristate was a $150,000 purchase by his trainer out of the Glastonbury Stud draft at 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to the stakes-placed Blazing Miss (Sizzling), the son of Headwater, is the sixth foal and sixth winner out of the Encosta de Lago mare Jahre, whose dam Whatever (Danzero) is a daughter of the outstanding broodmare Procrastinate.
Jahre has a 2yo filly by Sizzling and a yearling colt by Dundeel. She was covered by Dundeel’s son Castelvecchio last spring.
Last season’s Champion Second Season Sire, Headwater stands at Vinery Stud in 2021 at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
