A $1.4million Inglis Easter purchase for Go Bloodstock / Gai Waterhouse & Adrain Bott Racing / Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Snitzel colt Head of the Herd opened his account at Newcastle on Tuesday at his second start.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Head of the Herd was unplaced at his only previous start back in April on a soft track, but found this assignment much more to his liking.
Given a good grounding in two recent trials, Head of the Herd was sent out favourite for the 1150m maiden and was ridden forward by Adam Hyeronimus to take the lead and kicked clear down the running before holding off a late bid from I Am Invincible colt Invincible Whip to win by a head.
Consigned by Bhima Thoroughbreds, Head of the Herd was bred by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock and runs for Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock.
He is a three-quarter brother to dual Group I winner and $2.4million earner Stratum Star and Group I placed Group III winner Prague, one of the foundation sires at Kia Ora Stud. He is the sixth winner from six foals to race from terrific producer Purely Spectacular, a full sister top stakes-winner Raid, the dam of stakes-winner Night Raid.
Purely Spectacular claims champion racemare and influential matriarch Emancipation as her third dam so there is real depth to her pedigree explaining why her progeny are so highly sought in the sale ring.
Purely Spectacular has a yearling colt by Capitalist, but no foal this spring having missed to Snitzel last year and she is booked back to him again .
