A Million Dollar Prize for a Blue Collar Speedball

Mark Smith - Saturday November 18

In a brilliant display of sustained speed, a homebred son of a stallion that covered ten mares last spring at a fee of $4,400 downed a $700,000 son of Australia's highest-priced stallion in Saturday's $1,000,000  Newcastle Herald Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle.

Coal Crusher lowers the track record (image Steve Hart)

Continuing a wonderful season for Joe Pride and Tyler Schiller the fleet-footed Turffontein gelding Coal Crusher proved his close-up fourth in the $3million Giga Kick Stakes was no fluke when leading at every call to defeat the I Am Invincible gelding King Of Sparta by a length with the So You Think gelding Rocketing By a length and a half back in third in track record time.

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Though he has yet to win a stakes race, Coal Crusher advances his record to nine wins, seven seconds, and two from 28 starts with earnings of $1,307,690.

"That’s the way you win on him,’’ said Pride.

“I didn’t think he needed to go quite that fast, but I’m not going to criticise a winning ride.

“He really busted them up and maybe that’s what beat the opposition because he got them out of their comfort zone.

“He’s come back good this preparation, he’s been knocking on the door in harder races.

“I love this horse but only about half as much as my son loves him. It’s his horse and he adores this horse and it’s really special for him.

“It’s been fantastic, three Group 1s and an Everest, a Shorts and a Premiere, now this. This is up there with the best of the moments I’ve got to be honest with you.

“I train this horse for the Murphy family. Chris Murphy died about 12 months ago; he was the manager of INXS and his family race it with my family and this is a very special moment for all of us”

Coal Crusher is the best of three winners from the Royal Academy mare Media Academy, who has not had a live foal since Coal Crusher.  

His sire His sire Turffontein now stands in Tasmania at Motree Thoroughbreds for a fee of $4,000.

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Race Result - The Newcastle Herald Hunter 1300m

Newcastle Track: Good(4) Time: 1:15.49
1
Coal Crusher
- 6g Turffontein (AUS) x Media Academy (AUS) (Royal Academy (USA))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: Tyler Schiller 56.5
2
1.1
King Of Sparta
- 5g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Octavia (AUS) (Holy Roman Emperor (IRE))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: C Schofield 57.5
3
2.7
Rocketing By
- 6g So You Think (NZ) x Across The Moon (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: David Pfieffer Rdr: Regan Bayliss 54
4
2.7
Mazu
- 5g Maurice (JPN) x Chatelaine (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: N Rawiller 59
5
4.5
Rustic Steel
- 6g Deep Field (AUS) x Ten Carat Rock (AUS) (Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: S Clipperton 56
6
5.5
Military Expert
- 5g Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Gresset (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Rachel King 52
7
6.2
Gravina
- 6g Sebring (AUS) x Metastasio (AUS) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Zac Lloyd 53
8
7.3
Sinawann
- 7g Kingman (GB) x Simawa (IRE) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: Reece Jones 53.5
9
7.6
Dark Destroyer
- 5g Proisir (AUS) x All Can Party (AUS) (All American (AUS))
Tnr: J A O'Shea Rdr: Tom Sherry 55.5
10
8.1
Opal Ridge
- 4m Rubick (AUS) x Chadana (AUS) (Myboycharlie (IRE))
Tnr: Luke Pepper Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 53
11
8.6
Excellent Proposal
- 7g Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Procrastination (GB) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: Michael Freedman Rdr: J Parr 56
12
9.9
Dajraan
- 6h Frankel (GB) x Mossfun (AUS) (Mossman (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 53
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