Grove Ferry Opens Australian Account

Mark Smith - Saturday September 24

It took eight starts for Grove Ferry (IRE) to break his maiden in Australia, but he chose the right place to do it when giving co-trainer Gai Waterhouse a tenth win in the Group III Furphy Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill.

Fighting win for Grove Ferry (image Steve Hart)

With Tim Clarke in the saddle, the 6yo son of Excelebration (IRE) edged out the favourite Cadre Du Noir (USA) (War front) by a long-head with a long-neck back to the luckless Herman Hesse (Frankel) in third.

A 4-time winner in the UK for Andrew Balding, Grove Ferry (IRE) advances his record to five wins, three seconds, and four thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $286,123.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott said Grove Ferry (IRE) is likely to back up in the Group 1 Metropolitan.

“He’s a tough horse. It was good to see him put his head in front today because we’ve had him about 12 months now and he hasn’t been able to do that for us,” Bott said.

“Maybe getting out in trip has been the key. It was his first time over this distance for us, so that was the only unknown going here today.

“He can be a little bit keen in patches and it took a little while for Tim (Clark) to get him to settle but once he did he found a lovely rhythm and that really helped and that was probably the difference in the end.

Advertisement

“We wanted to see him tick that distance box today and I think he had done that very well. I know he’s had a while between runs coming here today but he had a really good foundation and a good lead-up prior to that. We came here with that in mind, that intention, that we’d leave that option open and I think off what we saw today it’s worthwhile.”

Off to the Metrop (image Steve Hart)

Andrew Balding purchased the son of Excelebration (IRE) for £30,000 from the Hollyhill Stud consignment at the 2018 Goffs-UK Premier Yearling Sale.

A half-brother to Group III Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial winner and Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup runner-up Recharge (Cape Cross), Grove Ferry (IRE) is one of ten winners from 11 to race out of the Robellino mare Rebelline.

Honoured as the Champion Older Female in Ireland in 2002 (Mile/Int.), Rebelline numbered the Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup among her six wins.

Grove Ferry (IRE) is the 15th stakes-winner for Excelebration (IRE). The 4-time Group 1 winning son of Exceed And Excel shuttled to Coolmore for four seasons.

Excelebration (image Mark Smith)

Advertisment

Race Result - Colin Stephen Qlty Gr3 2400m

Rosehill Track: Good(4) Time: 2:29.34
1
Grove Ferry
- 6g Excelebration (IRE) x Rebelline (IRE) (Robellino (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 55
2
0.2
Cadre Du Noir
- 7g War Front (USA) x Dynamic Feature (USA) (Rahy (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58
3
0.6
Herman Hesse
- 6g Frankel (GB) x Dream Peace (IRE) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J R Collett 54
Inglis September (Early) Online Sale $30,000
Seller: Bjorn Baker Racing (as agent)
Buyer: Fortuna Ltd (NZ)
4
3.3
Mohican Heights
- 6g Australia (GB) x Mohican Princess (GB) (Shirley Heights (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: W Pike 55
5
4.5
Fun Fact
- 7g The Factor (USA) x Fill The Page (AUS) (Dane Shadow (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Rachel King 53
6
6.6
Monreal
- 9g Peintre Celebre (USA) x Montezuma (GER) (Monsun (GER))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: Tyler Schiller 53
More Reading...
So You Think 3YO Wins $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus
Good placement from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable for progressive three year-old So You Think gelding Aloysius, who cast off maiden status at Hawkesbury on Thursday in a race that featured a lucrative Inglis Xtra maiden bonus.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Super Seth has had three G1 winners in Australia this season and John O’Shea and Tom Charlton have trained two of them, so when they produce a lightly raced maiden winner by this exciting young sire we want to know more.
2026 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable, Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1927 entries for the 2026 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 3
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Third Winner for Peltzer
Twin Hills Stud’s young sire Peltzer added a third winner to his tally with a debut victory at Canberra on Friday for the well named gelding I Show Speed.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday morning and the winners include unraced youngsters by Cool Aza Beel and I Am Invincible, plus a Farnan colt that tried his luck in Group races in the autumn and was far from disgraced.
High-flying Pencarrow Stud offers well-bred mares in Online Breeding Stock Sale
The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.
Sires With Winners - Friday July 4
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Ballarat
Synthetic track meetings at Ballarat can throw up some misleading form, but a debut winner from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable that started in the red and won by nine lengths is probably worth a closer look.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.