Juddmonte Colours Salute at Flemington – Surefire Wins G3 Archer Stakes

Tara Madgwick - Saturday October 29

Imported Fastnet Rock gelding Surefire (GB) has always promised to win a stakes race in Australia and got the job done at Flemington on Saturday when scoring a determined win in the Group III VRC Archer Stakes (2500m).

Surefire wins the G3 Archer Stakes - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, Surefire was a short priced favourite and was strong to the line to beat 2020 Epsom Derby winner Serpentine (IRE) by a length.

Advertisement

“He travelled into it like he was going to win a bit better than he did, but in saying that he got to the front and backed off and waited for the other horses, so maybe a set of visors might help him concentrate,” said James McDonald.

Surefire races for a partnership of Waller stable clients and his breeder Juddmonte Farms in whose colours he runs. He has the overall record of six wins and three seconds from 14 starts and as a four year-old his best is still to come.

Surefire wins his first stakes race - image Grant Courtney

A half-brother to Group winner Button Down and stakes-winner Platitude, Surefire is one of seven winners from stakes-winner Modesta, a half-sister to Group I winning champions Reams of Verse and Elmaamul as well as the dam of champion mare Midday.

Surefire is the 190th stakes-winner worldwide for Coolmore's champion sire Fastnet Rock.

Advertisment

Race Result - Lexus Archer Stakes Gr3 2500m

Flemington Track: Soft(7) Time: 2:39.11
1
Surefire
- 5g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Modesta (IRE) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 55
Fastnet Rock
2
1.0
Serpentine
- 6g Galileo (IRE) x Remember When (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: Robert Hickmott Rdr: John Allen 55
3
2.0
Crystal Pegasus
- 6g Australia (GB) x Crystal Etoile (GB) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: M Zahra 56
4
4.7
Warning
- 6g Declaration Of War (USA) x Livia (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: D Oliver 56
5
7.7
Chapada
- 7g Bullet Train (GB) x Diamantina Dior (AUS) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: J Mott 56.5
6
7.8
Alegron
- 4g Teofilo (IRE) x Alegria (AUS) (Medaglia D'Oro (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: W Buick 59
7
11.8
True Marvel
- 7g Masked Marvel (GB) x Anecdotique (FR) (Enrique (GB))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: B Mc Dougall 54
More Reading...
Zoustar 7YO Chasing G1 for Cambridge Stud
South Africa will tackle the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday night and earlier in the day a horse named after one of their favourite sons will be vying for Group One glory down the road at Ellerslie Racecourse.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 2
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Tara Talks Racing - We Chat with the Breeder of Raging Force
The Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes was won last Saturday by exciting Cosmic Force gelding Raging Force, so this week we’re chatting to his breeder Dr Richard McClenahan of Mullaglass Stud, who has a self-confessed ‘mare addiction’!
Winning Debut for Blueblood Frankel Filly
We usually associate the Mark Walker stable with the tangerine colours of Te Akau racing, but it was John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds colours in the frame for the astute Kiwi trainer trainer at Benalla on Tuesday carried by blueblood Frankel filly Chateau Eze.
First Foals for Lofty Strike
One of the most interesting young stallions that we saw on the recent Victorian stud tour was at Swettenham Stud and it has not taken long for the big baldy face of Lofty Strike to find it’s way on to one of his first foals.
Vale, G1 winning horseman Tony Dennis
A member of one of New Zealand racing’s most famous and successful families has died, with the recent passing of Tony (Anthony) Dennis, aged 86.
Fastnet Rock Stayer Wins G2 Chairman’s Quality
Imported Fastnet Rock gelding Surefire (GB) carried the famous Juddmonte colours to victory in the $300,000 Group II ATC Chairman’s Quality (2600m) ploughing through the testing heavy conditions to stake a big claim for the upcoming $2million Group I Sydney Cup next week.
Spring Trial Watch – Caulfield
With a plethora of Group racing for colts and geldings last weekend and fillies to take centre stage Sydney on Saturday for the Group II ATC Furious Stakes it was interesting to see a Caulfield trial on Tuesday morning that featured six stakes-winning 3YO’s.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 1
Here is the full list of 22 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Waller Stable Hold the Key to Melbourne Cup
Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller has 27 of the 120 entries for this year’s $10million Melbourne Cup, which equates to more than 20 per cent of the total, so it’s probably worth having a closer look at them.