Favourite Needs to Channel Takeover Target in $2mil The Ingham

Craig Tompson - Friday December 13

If the favourite Gringotts is to win the $2million The Ingham (G2) at Randwick this weekend he’s going to need to be nearly as good as Takeover Target and better than any other Ingham runner in 20 years.

Gringotts winning The Gong. Photo: Steve Hart.

There’s plenty to like about the five-year-old son of Per Incanto. He’s won nine and placed seven times in 17 starts, he’s unbeaten in four starts at the mile and he’s coming off a heavily backed win in the $1million The Gong.

He’s also got 60.5kg.

That’d be 7.5kg over the limit weight. No winner has done it in the last 20 years.

Advertisement

The highest weighted winner in that period is Monton with 58kg, on a 52kg limit so 6kg over that base weight.

Here’s the last 20 winners with their weight and the amount over the limit in brackets. All of this information is available in our Stakes Result section here. And here is The Ingham specifically (or Villiers Stakes as it is officially registered).

2023 Loch Eagle 53 (0)

2022 Kirwan's Lane 57 (4)
2021 Brutality 53 (0)
2020 Greysful Glamour (M) 56 (3)
2019 Quackerjack 56 (3)
2018 Sky Boy 53 (0)
2017 Crack Me Up 54.5 (1.5)
2016 Sense Of Occasion 54 (1)
2015 Happy Clapper 53 (0)
2014 Rudy 53 (0)
2013 Ninth Legion 54.5 (1.5)
2012 All Legal 54 (1)
2011 Monton 58 (6)
2010 Dances On Waves 52 (0)
2009 Palacio De Cristal 52 (0)
2008 Something Anything 54.5 (2.5)
2007 Honor In War 54.5 (2.5)
2006 Utzon 57.5 (5.5)
2005 Aqua D'Amore 52.5 (0.5)

And where does the Takeover Target comparison come from?

Well he carried 61kg in the 2008 version, a whopping 9kg over the limit and was first past the post, however lost it in the steward’s room to Honor In War.

So if Gringotts can win this year, it’ll be a mighty effort.

It’ll also be another great result for his sire Per Incanto, enjoying his best year ever in Australia, currently in the top 10 by earnings with 23 winners, three stakes winners and over $5.7million.

This historical perspective applies to crowd favourite Private Eye also of course.

So it does give hope of a big odds winner.

Estadio Mestalla? Port Lockroy? Tavi Time? New Energy? Superazi?

Good luck.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Gringotts Group One Number One
Two hours after his close relative Vegas Queen won Saturday’s Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham, quality New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts took the family’s day to even greater heights with an Australian Group One triumph in the A$1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Rising HK Star for Embellish
Bulb General continued his electric form in Hong Kong to bring loftier targets into play for the son of Embellish.
One for the Pedigree Nerds!
A blueblood stallion by Frankel that cost 1.3million guineas and a 3YO gelding by I Am Immortal that cost $14,000 – what could they possibly have in common other than both winning Group races at Flemington on Saturday.
Shamus Award Mare Chasing Another G1
Adverse weather has forced multiple Group One winner Quintessa to take an unorthodox route to next Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), with the mare appearing at the Awapuni trials on Monday afternoon.
Tara Talks Racing – John Kelly of Newhaven Park Our Guest
Newhaven Park Stud is a family run farm on the south west slopes of NSW that has been producing thoroughbreds for a century and the Kelly family have bred many champions and now Autumn Glow has added her name to their hall of fame.
Kiwi Bred War Machine Secures Everest Slot
The NZB Ready to Run Sale is never short of graduates flying the flag on Group One stages in Australia. With the 2025 edition at Karaka now less than six weeks away, War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) has put his hand up to continue that trend this spring.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
Everest Runner/New G1 Horse for Hellbent as Invincible Legacy Surges
Hellbent has made a solid start to the new season with 25 winners racking up over $2million in earnings and he will have a runner in the $20million The Everest in two weeks time with Magic Time confirmed for the Inglis slot, while at Randwick last Saturday he added another G1 performer to his tally.