Coolmore Classic Next for Mafi's Expat

Mark Smith - Saturday February 19

With her favoured soft conditions, the Mark Newnham-trained Expat controlled the Group II Rosehill Bowling Club Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens from the front.

Expat loves a fight (image Steve Hart)

A career highlight for apprentice Tommy Sherry, the 4yo daughter of Makfi (GB) found the best ground in the straight to hold the challenge of the Per Incanto (USA) mare Belluci Babe by a neck, with the Lope de Vega (IRE) mare Le Lude a further length back in third.

A last start winner of the Group III Belle of The Turf Stakes at Gosford, Expat advances her record to eight wins and one third from 13 starts with earnings of $474,070.

Advertisement

Newnham said he was happy to stick with Tommy Sherry.

 “He has got a really good association with her. He has got a lot of faith in her and he has been telling me all week she would win, and it was hard to disagree with him,” Newnham said.

“She has got the right ride and conditions to suit today.

“The plan was not to rush, just to make her do enough to establish the lead so you’re not inviting them to take you on, and just to get to that four to five off the fence in the straight.

It’s just good to get a Group II win for her. She is building a really good record.

“I think she deserves a crack at the Coolmore Classic now.”

A homebred for Tony McGrath, Expat is a half-sister to stakes-placed Mental Telepathy (Shocking) out of the Galileo mare Utmost Caution who has four winners from five to race.

Unplaced in her only two starts, Utmost Caution spent the first seven years at stud in New Zealand before returning to Australia in 2019. She has a 2yo colt by Redwood (GB), yearling filly by Akeed Mofeed (GB), and a colt foal by the unheralded Ocean Park stallion Ocean's Fourteen.

Important win for Tommy Sherry (image Steve Hart)

Utmost Caution was among the 103 mares to visit Dubawi’s champion son Ghaiyyath (IRE) at Darley last spring.

Expat is one of 45 black-type winner for triple Group 1 winner Makfi (Dubawi), who now stands at JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station, Japan.

It has been a good 24 hours for Shizunai Stallion Station, which also houses Animal Kingdom (USA), the sire of Friday night’s Listed Torney Night Cup (2500m) winner Skelm.

Advertisment

Race Result - Rosehill B.C. Millie Fox Stks Gr2 1300m

Rosehill Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:17.28
1
Expat
- 4m Makfi (GB) x Utmost Caution (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Mark Newnham Rdr: Tom Sherry 55
2
0.3
Belluci Babe
- 5m Per Incanto (USA) x Savamour (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: J R Collett 54
3
1.3
Le Lude
- 6m Lope De Vega (IRE) x Second Draw (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: John Thompson Rdr: Brock Ryan 54
4
3.3
Krone
- 6m Eurozone (AUS) x Soft Landing (AUS) (Al Maher (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: W Pike 58
5
5.7
Bring The Ransom
- 5m Sebring (AUS) x Gold Epona (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Tim Clark 54
6
6.9
Matchmaker
- 4m Makfi (GB) x Love Somebody (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: K Mc Evoy 55
7
7.0
Rocha Clock
- 5m Pierro (AUS) x Rocha (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: Tommy Berry 55
8
11.9
Nicci's Fling
- 4m Nicconi (AUS) x Midnight Fling (AUS) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: G Portelli Rdr: Rachel King 54
More Reading...
G1 Winner Amelia's Jewel Added to Inglis Chairman's
Superstar mare Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni), a G1 winner of over $4.1m in prizemoney, will join what is already a stellar cast for the Inglis Chairman’s Sale to be held at Riverside Stables in Sydney on May 8.
First G1 Winner for Admire Mars
Arrowfield Stud’s handsome Japanese shuttle sire Admire Mars (Jpn) is on the board with his first Group I winner after classy three year-old filly Embroidery captured the Group I Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas( (160m) at Hanshin on Sunday.
Expat Digs Deep in Belle Of The Turf
Supporters of the odds-on favourite Brookspire would have been on good terms with themselves when she eased around the leader Expat coming around the turn in Wednesday’s Group III Gosford RSL Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m), but there was plenty of fight left in the leader.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Three heats for juveniles at the Randwick barrier trials on Monday produced a couple of interesting winners including an unraced I Am Invincible colt and the half-sister to Group I ATC Australian Oaks place-getter You Wahng.
Hong Kong Winners for Brave Smash and Hellbent
Brave Smash (Jpn) has a very nice horse in Hong Kong in the shape of four year-old gelding Divano, who scored his fifth win on Sunday when stepping up to Class 1 company for the first time.
G3 Gimcrack Thriller - The Talk of Ascot!
The sudden passing in 2022 of Darling View stallion I'm All The Talk shocked the WA breeding industry, and his absence was highlighted once again yesterday at Ascot, when his two year old daughter Talkanco piloted by Brad Parnham won the G3 Gimcrack Stakes in an exciting finish to announce herself as a serious Karrakatta Plate contender and become the third stakes winner for her sire.
Savabeel Stayer to Target Queensland
Multiple Group-winner Nereus is being set for a Queensland campaign after powering into second in Saturday’s Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Trentham.
Debut HK 2YO Winner for Brutal and a G1 Favourite
With his oldest progeny just three year-olds, Newgate Farm’s Doncaster Mile winning sire Brutal has been ticking along nicely, but it’s a couple of two year-olds from his second crop that have him in the news on Sunday with a debut winner at Sha Tin and a super talented colt that is now a clear favourite for next week’s $1million Group I ATC Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Sires With Winners - Sunday April 13
Here is the full list of 56 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Written By Filly Delivers Childhood Dream for Hawkins
International racing journalist Andrew Hawkins’ imagination was captured by two things as a child, thoroughbred racing and the Canberra Raiders, and on Saturday he was able to combine his two loves.