The Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday was aptly named with a classy field of promising colts chasing a first Black Type win and it was Yulong blueblood colt Grand Prairie that took the win in somewhat controversial circumstances.
A brave second at his previous start in the Listed ATC Rosebud behind Skyhook, Grand Prairie had race fitness on his side and settled back in the field for Tom Sherry before attempting to make ground through the field as they came to the 300m mark.
Grand Prairie laid in towards Providence which in turn rolled in on Tyreek, who was pushed through the inside running rail leaving his rider Dylan Gibbons on the ground. (Tyreek was sadly later euthanised due to an injury sustained in the fall.)
With chaos behind him, Grand Prairie held his momentum and surged on to win by half a length over the maiden Zoustar colt Fermoy, a $1.9million Inglis Easter purchase for Tom Magnier.
"Naturally if he ran well today I would think about the Golden Rose for him but I just need to see how he's pulled up and see how things are," Peter Snowden said after the race.
"He's done a good job and he deserved a nice race. I'm glad he's won, it was just unfortunate with the incident today.
"He is very genuine and he ran the 1300 right out today which was good to see."
Grand Prairie was offered by Yulong at Inglis Easter, but passed in shy of his $500,000 reserve and sent to Peter Snowden to train with his overall record now two wins and three seconds from six starts with prizemoney just shy of $250,000.
Grand Prairie is the second living foal and second winner from dual Group I winning I Am Invincible mare Viddora, who was bought by Yulong for $2.55million at the 2020 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Viddora had no yearling for the sales this year, but produced a filly last year by Diatonic (Jpn) before being covered by Pierata.
Grand Prairie is the 78th stakes-winner for Written Tycoon and is his third 3YO stakes-winner this season joining Skyhook and Tycoon Star, who won the Group III MRC McNeil Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
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