One To Watch - 5 Length Debut Winner for Justify

Breednet - Friday June 30

Justify has had a thumping first season in Australia and he added another promising one to his arsenal with a five-length debut winner in Victoria on Friday.

Naval Academy, trained by the Maher/Eustace operation out of Ballarat started a short-priced favourite at Warracknabeal and was never in any danger of defeat.

Naval Academy as a yearling

Settled behind the leaders by Dean Yendall, the gelding took control rounding the home turn and raced right asway to win by five lengths with seemingly something reserve.

A homebred for Robert and Barbara McLure’s Morning Rise in Victoria, Naval Academy is by Justify out of Kinetic Design (Master Of Design), a stakes placed grand-daughter of Group One winner Kapchat.

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The So You Think yearling out of the mare was sold by Morning Rise at this year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $300,000 to Legend Racing.

Justify is returning somewhat triumphantly to Coolmore for the 2023 breeding season at a fee of $77,000.

He will be crowned Champion First Season Sire at season’s end courtesy of his now seven winners, including three stakes winners in Learning To Fly, Air Assault and Legacies.

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