The withdrawal of unbeaten filly Autumn Glow from the $1million Group II ATC Arrowfield Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday due to an elevated temperature left a very even field of colts to do battle with blue-blood I Am Invincible colt Enriched, from the family of the great champion Winx, taking the prize.
Trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Tommy Berry, Enriched won the Listed ATC Fireball Stakes two starts back and most recently chased Autumn Glow home for second in the Listed ATC Darby Munro Quality.
In the absence of the glamour filly, Enriched grabbed the opportunity and loomed up to challenge at the furlong with Snitzel colt Imperial Force digging in for the fight, but ultimately unable to hold off Enriched, who was tenacious in winning by half a length.
“Coming into today, we were sort of wondering whether we were going to have enough improvement in us to beat the filly (Autumn Glow), so when she got scratched this morning, it opened the race up quite a bit,” said Michael Freedman.
“Tommy and I had a good chat this morning about being positive from the gate, sitting either at leader's girth, which is what he ended up doing, or even I wouldn't have been opposed to him leading.
“Turn of foot is what that colt has. He's a high-class horse, very well bred, so who knows, maybe he's got a future at stud somewhere.
“There's been some very good colts winning this race in the past that have gone to stud. Terrific result. There's such a great bunch of owners, you know, Terry and Peter Board who bred him and kept half of him when we bought him at the sales, David Wallace, who's been in In the Congo and Wild Ruler, so he's not shy of being involved in a good colt.
“I'm rapt for the ownership group. They're a great bunch of people to train for.”
Tommy Berry was also impressed with the colt, who has more to offer.
Consigned by Bhima Stud to Inglis Easter, Enriched was a $450,000 purchase for Michael Freedman Racing / Gandharvi / Mick Wallace and has the overall record of three wins and three placings from nine starts with prizemoney topping $950,000.
Bred by Peter and Terry Board, who retain a share in his ownership, Enriched is the third winner from four to race for the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Miss Atom Bomb, a half-sister to world champion and four time Australian Horse of the Year Winx and Group III winner El Divino.
Miss Atom Bomb had no yearling for the sales this year, but produced a colt by Snitzel last year before going back to I Am Invincible.
At the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale a very close relation to Enriched proved a hot ticket item. The Segenhoe Stud consigned I Am Invincible colt from Winx’s half-sister Covent Garden sold for $1.8million to Tom Magnier and is a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Enriched.
