It took the judge’s magnifying glass to separate odds on favourite Cylinder and the underrated Ouroboros in Saturday’s $200,00 Group III Vain Stakes at Caulfield.
It was the unstoppable Blake Shinn on Godolphin’s Exceed And Excel colt Cylinder which inched out the courageous Harry Angel (IRE) pacesetter Ouroboros with the closing I Am Invincible colt I Am Unstoppable a half-neck back in third.
Cylinder’s Triumph came shortly after his half-sister Parisal won the Toy Show Stakes at Randwick.
Cylinder, the winner of last season’s Group II ATC Silver Slipper Stakes, Group II Todman Stakes, and runner-up in the Golden Slipper, advances his record to three wins and three seconds from seven starts with earnings of $1,303,740.
“He was a little ring rusty, but full credit to the second horse who made a race of it,” Shinn said.
“My horse was out of his comfort zone early, and when the chips were down, he was off the bridle. He never stopped trying and showed great determination. I wasn’t sure if we got there, but his class shone through. He has much to offer and will only get better into the prep.
“He proved his class with a second in the Golden Slipper and has the credentials to target the best races.
“This was his main target but looks good on his CV and will measure up in any race James aims him at. This was a great stepping stone, and it was nice to get the job done.”
Circular, the dam of Cylinder and Parisal (Astern), was an honest performer for Godolphin when trained by John O’Shea.
The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) won five and placed in eight of her 20 starts. Her moment in the sun came in the Listed Matron Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley under Joao Moreira.
Circular’s dam Hexameter (Octagonal) is a Sydney-winning three-quarter sister to Lonhro, Niello, and Shannara.
This is the family of the Bart Cummings-trained Gay Poss (Le Filou), whose eleven wins included the AJC Oaks, Caulfield Stakes, Craiglee stakes and Kewney Stakes.
Circular has a yearling three-quarter sister to Cylinder by Bivouac and was covered by Brazen Beau last spring.
