Ace High 3YO on the Improve

Media Release - Saturday January 18

Improving three-year-old Garnacho scored a last-stride victory in the Howden Australian Guineas Day, 1 March (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday for trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne.

Ridden by Damian Lane, the gelded son of Ace High sat just off a solid early speed and despite still doing a few things wrong, wore down runner-up Zorro’s Flight.

Garnacho gets his head in front right on the line for jockey Damian Lane. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli

Garnacho has now won two of his four starts and looks like a three-year-old that will relish getting over further ground.

David Browne admitted he was concerned watching early in the run and delighted by the gritty victory.

“I thought he did enough early. He pulled hard and didn't settle quite as quickly as you'd like for the first 400m,” Browne said.

“I thought we were probably beaten and he'd run a good race but not settling would take its toll, but he was super tough to win.

“He’s a horse with a lot of ability but he wants to do a lot wrong. He has come a huge way over the last three or four months. He has really tidied up in his attitude.

Advertisement

“We'll just keep it low-key for the moment and see how he comes through the run before we make too many plans, but I think he’s the sort of horse that we might be able to stretch him out by a couple of hundred metres this preparation and we will just see where we end up.”

Winning rider Damian Lane said he wasn’t sure if he had defeated Zorro’s Flight on the line, but there was more to come from Garnacho as his racing manners improved.

“He's taken a little bit to come to hand and for the penny to drop and he still did a little bit wrong through the early part of the race today, so that's a sign that there is some improvement still to come,” Lane said. “He is a work in progress, but he's obviously got some talent.

“He just has a tendency to want to overdo it a little bit and he wants to get on one rein. Today early out of the barriers he got bumped by both sides and it just fired him up and got him on the wrong foot from the start, so if he can get back to relaxing like he did at his previous runs out at this sort of distance, he's going to have a really good turn of foot.”

Ace High

By Rich Hill Stud stallion Ace High out of the three-win One Cool Cat mare Aplomb, Garnacho is a half-brother to three other winners including handy mare Monfelicity.

Bred by Terry Woodman, who remains in the ownership of Garnacho, Aplomb is back in foal to dual Group One winner Ace High, who is represented by 23 yearlings at the forthcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Howden Australian Guineas Day, 1 March (Bm70) 1600m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 1:37.09
1
Garnacho
- 3g Ace High (AUS) x Aplomb (NZ) (One Cool Cat (USA))
Tnr: E & D Browne Rdr: Damian Lane 57
2
0.1
Zorro's Flight
- 3g Toronado (IRE) x Doves Cry (AUS) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: Patrick & Michelle Payne Rdr: Tom Prebble 57
3
2.1
Mrs Artie
- 3f Tassort (AUS) x Artie Fartie (AUS) (Artie Schiller (USA))
Tnr: Jerome Hunter Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 57
Inglis Australian Weanling Sale $8,000
Seller: Newgate Consignment, Aberdeen
Buyer: Rich River Exports
4
3.1
Bancory Bay
- 3g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Oohood (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Moroney & Glen Thompson Rdr: Jye McNeil 56
5
5.1
Seindeel
- 3g Dundeel (NZ) x Giggly (AUS) (Domesday (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: M Zahra 57.5
6
7.1
Tomba
- 3g Hellbent (AUS) x Al's Magic Miss (AUS) (Magic Albert (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald Rdr: B Shinn 59
7
9.4
Centennial Park
- 3g Super Seth (AUS) x Savoia (AUS) (Charge Forward (AUS))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: J Mott 60
More Reading...
Waikato Stud Weanling Draft Showcases Super Stallions
After a phenomenal few months for Waikato Stud’s stallion roster, the world-renowned nursery will offer six select progeny of those high-flying sires at this week’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka.
Highview Makes Welcome Return to Weanling Sale
Many of the vendors at this month’s NZB National Weanling Sale are familiar faces who are renowned for their quality drafts at this sale every year, but the 2025 edition also sees an old friend being welcomed back to the fold.
Countdown to NZB’s 2025 Weanling Sale
The countdown to NZB’s 2025 National Weanling Sale is underway, with a compact yet quality catalogue of 134 youngsters, plus 10 supplementary lots, selling this Thursday 26 June at Karaka. 
One to Watch – Cranbourne
Second in the Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate last year to Tycoon Star, this Cosmic Force colt made light work of a maiden at Cranbourne on Sunday when bolting away to win as he pleased.
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 22
Here is the full list of 76 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Bonny Grey Mare Wins G3 Strickland
Last December at Ascot, popular grey mare Admiration Express (My Admiration) nearly caused the upset result of the year when she charged home at odds of 100/1 in the G1 Northerly Stakes for second behind Victorian raider Light Infantry Man.
Sires With Winners - Monday June 23
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Scone
Kris Lees often sends a talented horse to the country to cast off maiden status and a two year-old Exceedance gelding did just that on debut at Scone on Monday.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Canterbury
There were a whopping 10 heats won by juveniles at the Canterbury trials on Monday morning that included some interesting unraced youngsters by Zoustar, Zousain and Trapeze Artist, plus a good looking youngster that may see the benefit of gelding.
Aussie Bred HK G3 Double
A pair of Group III races were run at Sha Tin on Sunday with victory in the two last stakes races of the HK season both going to Aussie bred geldings Beauty Joy and Copartner Prance, who is a half-brother to Aquis based sire Kobayashi.