Brilliant Return for Opal Ridge

Tara Madgwick - Saturday March 18

Exciting Rubick filly Opal Ridge was first up form a spell in the Listed ATC Darby Munro Quality (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday and showed her class when steaming home to run straight past the colts and geldings for a stylish victory.

Opal Ridge scores her first stakes win - image Steve Hart

Trained at Scone by Luke Pepper, Opal Ridge showed good potential in several stakes races last spring before closing out her campaign winning the inaugural $500,000 ATC Tapp Craig over 1400m beating Pericles, who was a close second as favourite in the Group I ATC Rosehill Guineas.

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Given the strength of that form, she always looked to be in the mix and under a cool ride from Tyler Schiller overcame a bad gate to win by two lengths running away.

“When she drew gate 16, I said to Tyler ride her quiet and take her back, she’s got a good turn of foot,” said Luke Pepper.

“What a ride, he just got through and she as dominant. I think she can get better as she’s still maturing and I think she can get a bit  further, so the world is her oyster, but we’ll celebrate today.”

Opal Ridge was a $20,000 Inglis Classic bargain!

A modest $20,000 Inglis Classic purchase for R Hunt from the Carramar Park draft, Opal Ridge has been a model of consistency with five wins and two placings from eight starts earning in excess of $530,000 in prizemoney.

Bred by Wayne and Pauline Alchin, Opal Ridge is the ninth stakes-winner for Swettenham Stud's Rubick and is the first foal from winning Myboycharlie (IRE) mare Chadana, a half-sister to Group III ATC Adrian Knox Stakes winner Candelara, who was also third in the Group I ATC Australian Oaks.

Chadana was on-sold by Carramar Park for $12,000 through Inglis Digital in 2021 to Queensland based Fig Tree Farm.

The yearling Headwater colt from Chadana was not surprisingly bought by Luke Pepper at Magic Millions Book 2 from the draft of Fig Tree Farm for $80,000.

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Race Result - Irresistible Pools Darby Munro LR 1200m

Rosehill Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.43
1
Opal Ridge
- 3f Rubick (AUS) x Chadana (AUS) (Myboycharlie (IRE))
Tnr: Luke Pepper Rdr: Tyler Schiller 55
2
2.0
Kote
- 3g Choisir (AUS) x Soffraaj (AUS) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: A J Cummings Rdr: N Rawiller 58
3
2.2
Spacewalk
- 3g Exosphere (AUS) x Benenden (AUS) (Dubawi (IRE))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J Bowman 56
4
2.7
Swiss Exile
- 3c Pariah (AUS) x Swiss Francs (NZ) (Swiss Ace (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: C Schofield 59
5
3.1
Economics
- 3c Capitalist (AUS) x Anabaa's Legacy (NZ) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58
6
3.4
Dashing Legend
- 3f Snitzel (AUS) x Kneeling (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: B Avdulla 56
7
4.0
Nettuno
- 3c I Am Invincible (AUS) x Saint Minerva (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Ryan Maloney 58.5
8
4.3
Sacred Satono
- 3c Satono Aladdin (JPN) x Belle Joie (NZ) (Mellifont (USA))
Tnr: B Wallace & G Cooksley Rdr: K Mc Evoy 58.5
9
4.4
Midnight In Tokyo
- 3f Kobayashi (AUS) x Orabelle (AUS) (Casino Prince (AUS))
Tnr: Kacy Fogden Rdr: Regan Bayliss 54
10
5.5
Insurrection
- 3g Russian Revolution (AUS) x Marple Miss (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Freedman Rdr: M Zahra 56.5
11
6.2
Felix Majestic
- 3g Smart Missile (AUS) x Lauren's Magic (AUS) (Beneteau (AUS))
Tnr: G R Nickson Rdr: Ms K O'Hara 56
12
8.2
Hell I Am
- 3g Hellbent (AUS) x Forest Circle (USA) (Arch (USA))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: Damian Lane 57
13
16.0
Cinderella Days
- 3f Astern (AUS) x Ofcourseican (AUS) (Mossman (AUS))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: S Clipperton 54
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