Amor Victorious Triumphs in G2 Shannon Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday September 28

After racing through his classes, life got a bit tougher for Amor Victorious when he stepped up to stakes class.

The 5-year-old son of Caravaggio (USA) found conditions to suit when leading at every call under Tyler Sciller in Saturday’s Group II Canadian Club Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

Amor Victorious (image Bjorn Baker)

Under his lightweight and with his saddle slipping back, Amor Victorious defeated the fast-finishing So You Think gelding Punch Lane by a half-length, with the New Bay (GB) import New Endeavour three-quarters of a length back in third.

Advertisement

A $180,000 buy for Darby Racing / Will Johnson Bloodstock from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Amor Victorious advances his record to six wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $578,850.

“It was a great win,” trainer Bjorn Baker said.  

“Thanks to the owners, they’ve been really patient, Darby Racing of course. We like to put our horses up there and it worked out really well today.

“We’ve had a bit of a frustrating run, a lot of placings. Someone said it was an easy watch, I said ‘no it wasn’t, it’s a heck of a long straight.

“At his first two runs, he was up against some good horses and probably didn’t look as good as he could. I even debated whether we ran him today. I had a talk to Scott (Darby) and he was like ‘it’s up to you’. He was full of beans and we thought with the blinkers on that might just sharpen him up a bit. We’ve got some good races for him now. We’ve got the Five Diamonds Prelude, and maybe we'll be into the Five Diamonds. It was good to see him do that.”

Bred by Fieldhouse Partnership, Amor Victorious is the best of two winners from three to race for the Snitzel mare Koizora, a daughter of dual Group III winner Sky Love (Octagonal), a half-sister to Group 1 Emirates Stakes winner Sky Cuddle (Snippets), dam of Group II ATC Breeders CLasic winner Champagne Cuddles, who on this day in 2017 finished second to Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 Golden Rose.

Amor Victorious - Tyler Schiller (image Inglis)

Koizora has a 2-year-old colt by the Dream Ahead stallion Sensei, who was a $30,000 purchase for  Clinton Taylor Racing from the Grove Thoroughbreds draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.

Purchased for a mere $2,000 at the 2021 National Broodmare Sale, Koizora foaled a colt by Jonker on August 30.

Amor Victorious is the 18th stakes-winner for the former Coolmore shuttler Caravaggio (USA), who now stands at JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station, Japan. 

Advertisment

Race Result - Canadian Club Shannon Stakes Gr2 1500m

Rosehill Track: Soft(5) Time: 1:29.06
1
Amor Victorious
- 5g Caravaggio (USA) x Koizora (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Tyler Schiller 53
2
0.6
Punch Lane
- 5g So You Think (NZ) x Cybercyn (AUS) (Staaraq (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Kyle Wilson-Taylor 54
So You Think
3
1.4
New Endeavour
- 5g New Bay (GB) x Moody Blue (IRE) (Invincible Spirit (IRE))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: A Hyeronimus 57
4
1.7
Osipenko
- 5g Pierro (AUS) x Raskova (USA) (Henrythenavigator (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 57
5
2.3
New Energy
- 6g New Bay (GB) x For Joy (GB) (Singspiel (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: B Shinn 55.5
6
2.4
Celestial Legend
- 4h Dundeel (NZ) x Sarraqa (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: L J Bridge Rdr: K Mc Evoy 59
7
2.8
Bases Loaded
- 4h Deep Field (AUS) x Passarelle (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 55
8
2.8
Freedom Rally
- 5g Rubick (AUS) x Ipioga (AUS) (Niello (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Craig Williams 57
9
4.1
Bandersnatch
- 8g Casino Prince (AUS) x Divine Faith (AUS) (Falbrav (IRE))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: J Parr 56.5
10
5.4
Charterhouse
- 7g Charming Thought (GB) x Crocus Rose (GB) (Royal Applause (GB))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 53.5
11
5.5
Unspoken
- 6g Territories (IRE) x Silent Secret (IRE) (Dubai Destination (USA))
Tnr: Peter Snowden Rdr: M Zahra 57
More Reading...
Who Was Flight?
A G1 race since 1984, the Flight Stakes is a race won by special fillies - often the ones who go on to do extraordinary things on the track against all comers as older mares and that's as it should be as Hall Of Fame legend Flight exemplified that style of thoroughbred.
Captivant Colt Shines at Warwick Farm Trials
Captivant’s burgeoning reputation for producing precocious 2YOs took another leap forward at today’s Warwick Farm trials, with Courthezon powering to victory in Heat 10.
Four Winners for Dennis
Local trainer Robert Dennis won half of the eight-race card at Ascot Park on Friday, culminating with a special win by Sir Sterling in the Vale Tony Dennis (1400m).
New Stakes-Winner for Zoustar
The $150,000 Listed Hannan’s Handicap (1400m) provided reigning champion sire Zoustar with a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding Multinational led for home and could not be caught.
Mogumber Park hoists wet sail with Marine One
This time last year, the first foals by Mogumber Park stallion Marine One were widely regarded as some of the best types on the ground in Western Australia.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.
Recent success highlights Inglis Digital October (Early) Sale
A range of exciting racing and breeding prospects – as well as a number of in-form racehorses and shares in Stakes winners – headline the Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Sale.
Breeding To Win – 2025 G1 Darley Flight Stakes
The prestigious Darley Princess Series reaches its crescendo this week with the 77th running of the $750,000 G1 ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) over Royal Randwick's famous mile.
Kiwi Sires a Recipe for NZB Ready to Run Sale Success
Much of the NZB Ready to Run Sale’s extraordinary success has been underpinned by the stallions that have stood in New Zealand in recent decades.
2YO Stakes Racing – Sale Mail
Three stakes races for new season juveniles add plenty of interest to a stellar day of racing this Saturday in Sydney and Melbourne, so let’s take a look at the Sale Mail for these races.