Justify (USA) had a couple of very promising second place-getters on Saturday in exciting colts Clear Proof in the Listed ATC Rosebud and Dawn Service, who chased boom filly Autumn Glow and then at Wyong on Sunday he had a filly salute that also looks to have stakes potential.
Champion jockey James McDonald went to Wyong on Sunday for one ride and it was the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained filly Lilac, who was resuming from a spell in the 1200m maiden and taking on stakes-placed I Am Invincible colt Embassy.
Embassy was also returning from a spell and started favourite, but he couldn’t quite break through with Lilac proving a tougher adversary than punters thought.
She was determined to the line and got the better of the colt when forging clear to win by three-quarters of a length with a good four lengths back to the next home.
A $300,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Champion Thoroughbreds / Annabel Neasham Racing from the Curraghmore draft, Lilac is the first winner for Champion Thoroughbreds to come out of this stable.
In a recent story on Breednet we highlighted the merit of horses that won 900m barrier trials in sub 54 seconds, Autumn Glow being one of them and Lilac was another having done it in December last year.
Lilac is the second winner from Group II placed Fastnet Rock mare Paulownia, a full sister to Group I winning sire Foxwedge and stakes-winner She’s a Fox with the family also producing Group II winner Bank Maur and stakes-winners Namesake and Untamed.
Paulownia has a Wootton Bassett (GB) two year-old filly that was sold by Coolmore at Inglis Easter for $420,000 to Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds and she has a yearling colt to follow by Home Affairs.
Paulownia is one of several Coolmore owned mares that have gone to Kentucky this year to be covered by Justify to Southern Hemisphere time and they also include $3.4million Inglis Chairman’s purchase She’s Extreme.
Lilac is the 17th winner from 22 starters for Justify from mares by Fastnet Rock with the nick running at 77.3% winners to runners and 18% SW to runner highlighted by four stakes-winners including Group II winners Storm Boy and Learning to Fly, who was trained by Annabel Neasham.
