So Close and Star on the Rise

Tara Madgwick - Sunday February 12

For half an hour on Saturday, So You Think had a new Group I winner on his tally after Gentleman Roy produced a brave effort to lead and hold off all challengers in the Group I MRC CF Orr Stakes (1400m), but a protest from runner-up Jacquinot saw connections heading to the stewards room.

Jacquinot and Gentleman Roy go head to head in the Orr Stakes - image Grant Courtney

A bump from Mark Zahra and Gentleman Roy to Jacquinot in the last 100m was seen as sufficient to overturn the result given the short half head margin and while the Lindsay Park training team of Ben and JD Hayes were disappointed with the result, they were happy with their horse.

“He's a remarkable horse. He was there to be beat and he fought off some really good horses there. He's a brave as the day is long and I knew he'd be thereabouts at the 200 (metre mark) but that was the longest 200 of my life,” said JD Hayes.

"It was a terrific ride by Mark. He had him in a beautiful rhythm breathing and full credit to the horse. That was a tremendous effort.”

With eight wins and five placings from 17 starts and over $780,000 in prizemoney, Gentleman Roy will aim towards the $4.25million All Star Mile on March 18.

It was the second Group I win for Jacquinot, who was conceived, foaled and raised at Coolmore and retained to race by his breeders after passing in as a yearling. He is the first foal of unraced Pierro mare Ponterro, a sibling to Group I winner Inference, Group II winner Dragon Leap and stakes-winner Illation.

Ponterro had a filly by Wootton Bassett last spring and was then covered by Rubick’s Everest winning son Yes Yes Yes.

So You Think has a star on the rise in Sydney with exiting prospect Think About It winning a very strong Benchmark 88 event over 1300m at Randwick on Saturday.

Think About It wins his fifth race from six starts at Randwick - image Steve Hart

The Joe Pride trained gelding powered home over the top of his rivals to win by a half a length and has now won five of six starts earning nearly $230,000 in prizemoney.

Advertisement

“He’s probably 12 months or ever further away from maturing fully as he’s still a big baby and we saw that in the yard having a bit of a play around. That’s just him, he’s like it all the time, it’s like he’s still in the teenager stage,” said Pride.

“We’ll take our time with him and obviously he’s going to be a stakes horse, but it’s what level of stakes races he may get to and how far he can run, I’m not sure.”

A $70,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Proven Thoroughbreds / Joe Pride Racing from the Newgate Farm draft, Think It Over was bred by Lightning Thoroughbreds and foaled and raised at Newgate.

He is a half-brother to metro winner Private Cheetah and is the second winner from Tiare, a winning half-sister by Flying Spur to Group II winning sprinter Keen Array.

His grand-dam is by Zabeel and the family features two Group I winners in Hong Kong in The Duke and Sky Field, so there is plenty of quality on the page and So You Think has produced Group I winners from daughters of both Flying Spur and Zabeel.

Joe Pride nearly won a stakes race earlier in the day with another son of So You Think when Titanium Power went down by a head in the Group III ATC Southern Cross Stakes.

The five year-old is building an imposing record with eight wins and eight placings from 26 starts with prizemoney topping $545,000.

It seems only a matter of time before Think about It and Titanium Power add to So You Think's ever growing tally of stakes-winners. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 1
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Generation Foals Built for Speed
Victorian farm Lovatsville offer a diverse stallion roster for this spring geared to satisfy a wide spectrum of breeder ambitions and if explosive Aussie speed is your thing then Snitzel stallion Generation will fit the bill.
NZ Derby Hero Willydoit Primed for Epsom
Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Hellbent Winner Impresses at Sha Tin
Astute trainer Mark Newnham paid $425,000 at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale to secure a promising two year-old by Hellbent and Invincible Ibis delivered on that promise when scoring a last to first win at Sha Tin on Wednesday.
New SW Wrote - Fast Network Wins G3 National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel.
King’s Legacy Filly Salutes for Yulong
The first stakes-winner for her sire King’s Legacy when winning the Group III SAJC David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) last season, Steel Trap was subsequently purchased by Yulong privately and she posted her first win in their colours at Sandown on Wednesday.