Red Aces Victoria Derby Bound

Mark Smith - Saturday July 20

A field of maiden 2-year-olds stretching out to 1800m for the first time in the Byerley Hcp at Flemington, which carried the carrot of a golden ticket to the Victoria Derby in November.

Looks promising (image Grant Courtney)

The Dundeel colt Red Aces had only one previous start, finishing third in a Seymour maiden over 1300m 0on July 2. Jamie Mott had Red Aces travelling sweetly midfield on the fence and needed to go around just one horse, hitting the line with gusto to defeat another son of Dundeel, Politely Dun, by three-quarters of a length.

There was merit in the effort of the runner-up. The son of  Group 1 Myer Classic winner Politeness was on one rein for most of the straight.

The top-weight Stay Silent (Deep Field) was honest again, adding third place to his third in the Listed Taj Rossi Final at Flemington.

Winning trainer Nick Ryan said the Victoria Derby had been the goal all along for Red Aces.

"We were originally going to go to a mile maiden on Monday at Seymour, but he came on so much from his first run," Ryan said.

He is a Dundeel alright (image Grant Courtney)

"We always thought we had a Derby colt. My stepfather JJ Gordon, purchased him as a staying type.

Advertisement

"He has taken a little while, but the penny has dropped. That's a big jump from 1300m to 1800m at his second start.
"I liked the way he knuckled down; his breeding probably kicked in over the last furlong, and we have a nice staying colt on our hands.     

Red Aces a $380,000 Inglis Premier yearling

"We've got 15 weeks (until the Victoria Derby), so we will put him away, but not for too long. He might be a bit of a Munhamek, a good-doing, gross colt."

A $380,000 purchase for his trainer from the Musk Creek Farm draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Red Aces is a half-brother to the Group III SAJC Chairman's Stakes winner Declarationofheart (Declaration Of War).

\Plenty to look forward to (image Grant Courtney)

He is the third winner from four to race for the winning Encosta De Lago mare Cardiac, a three-quarter sister to Listed winner Da Little Engine and a half to the VRC Oaks heroine Arapaho Miss (Dabnehill Dancer), whose daughter Miami Bound (Reliable Man) also won the VRC Oaks.

Red Aces is Cardiac's final foal. She died in October 2022.

Red Aces is the sixth 2-year-old winner of the season for Dundeel, who stands for $88,000 at Arrowfield Stud in 2026.

Advertisment

Race Result - Byerley Hcp 1800m

Flemington Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:53.17
1
Red Aces
- 2c Dundeel (NZ) x Cardiac (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Nick Ryan Rdr: J Mott 57.5
2
0.8
Politely Dun
- 2g Dundeel (NZ) x Politeness (AUS) (Street Sense (USA))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: Damian Lane 58
3
1.1
Stay Silent
- 2c Deep Field (AUS) x Paulita (USA) (Scat Daddy (USA))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: B Shinn 59
4
3.6
Suntora
- 2f Toronado (IRE) x Kansas Sunflower (NZ) (Mastercraftsman (IRE))
Tnr: Nick Ryan Rdr: Jye McNeil 55.5
5
4.3
Shadeelaa
- 2c Shalaa (IRE) x Whatadeel (AUS) (Dundeel (NZ))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Declan Bates 56.5
6
4.6
Winston
- 2g Churchill (IRE) x Sonoma (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: John McArdle Rdr: C Newitt 57.5
7
6.1
Moana Kohala
- 2f Ocean Park (NZ) x Mawzoona (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Will Price 54
8
8.1
Evergrande
- 2g Hallowed Crown (AUS) x Hurry Harriet (AUS) (Magic Albert (AUS))
Tnr: J F Moloney Rdr: Teodore Nugent 56.5
9
8.9
Cool Star
- 2f Stratum Star (AUS) x Cool Coco (AUS) (Husson (ARG))
Tnr: Tetyana Furdetska Rdr: C J Parish 54
More Reading...
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Red Aces Wins a Thrilling G2 Moonee Valley Vase
Scratched at the barriers seven days ago when kicking out in the Caulfield Classic, Red Aces was at his best behaviour in an action-packed Group II Drummond Golf Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.