The big-spending Yulong is reaping rewards on the racetrack with the bottle green, white checked sleeves carried to success by Montefilia in last Saturday’s $2million ATC Hill Stakes and the 2-year-old Written Tycoon colt Sovereign Hill making a statement at his career debut over 1000m at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Ridden by Adam Hyeronimus for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Sovereign Hill was ridden aggressively in the early stages after a tardy start to take up the running. The son of Written Tycoon kicked clear on straightening and was untroubled to defeat the Snitzel filly Art's Alive by two and a half lengths, with the Deep Field colt Counteroffensive one and a half lengths in third.
The first three raced greenly in the closing stages and will derive great benefit from the outing.
A three-quarter brother to Group 1 Doomben Ten Thousand winner Musical Magnate, the chestnut was one of the stars of the official 2-year-old barrier trials at Randwick and was sent off a short-priced favourite.
His job is done just yet, as Adrian Bott indicated the stable will take the opportunity to try and qualify him for the Golden Slipper.
“There will be nice improvement off the back of that as he only had the one trial,” Bott said.
“You could see that the race day experience was getting to him a bit pre-race, but he was a professional once on the track.
“He did it well, so there are a couple of nice targets for him. We are trying to get him to the ($1,000,000) Golden Gift (on November 11 at Rosehill). It’s become an important race on the program, and a top finish would secure to a place in the Golden Slipper.
“They ran good time today, and it was a class record, so there is more upside.”
While Yulong shelled out $3,400,000 for Montefilia, Sovereign Hill was knocked down to Yu Long Investments / Waterhouse & Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $280,000 from the Silverdale Farm draft at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Bred by Iskander Racing Syndicate, Sovereign Hill is the second winner from as many to race for the Bramshaw mare Taraji.
Purchased by Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) for $400,000 at the 2021 National Broodmare Sale, Taraji is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Musical Magnate from the family of Group II ATC St Leger and Group III Adarian Knox winner Chaleyer (Covetous), which placed in the Group 1 Sydney Cup and Group 1 ATC Oaks.
Taraji has remained faithful to Written Tycoon in recent years. She has a yearling colt and is back in foal to Yulong Stud’s Champion Australian stallion.
