Aquis sires recorded a Stakes double on Saturday at Aquis Park on a day when the Aquis team also won the 2YO feature race.
The first black-type victory came courtesy of Dream Ahead 4YO Dreams Aplenty who saluted in R4 for trainer John Zielke in the Listed XXXX Gold Coast Cup (1400m).
Group 2-placed over 1000m at 2, and a Group 3 winner over 1600m at 3, today's victory takes Dream's Aplenty's career earnings to nearly $400,000.
The Aquis raced Sesar won R5; the 2YO feature race on the card - the Group 3 Moreton Hire Ken Russell Memorial (1200m).
Aquis is delighted to race the Sebring colt in partnership with Jamie Walter of Proven Thoroughbreds who is a big supporter of the stud. Walter purchased Sesar as a yearling for $160,000 at Inglis Easter 2017 from the draft of Southern Cross Breeders
Having just his third race start Sesar, who drew barrier four, beat home Boomsara and Aquis' other runner in the race; Lean Mean Machine. Trained by Chris Waller, the favourite Lean Mean Machine put in a big run from a wide draw (13) and looks like a colt with a big future ahead of him.
The win of Sesar, who is a half-brother to another Aquis and Steven O'Dea trained Gold Coast winner in Doubt Defying, means that Aquis runners have now won this season's two 2YO feature races at the Gold Coast following Sunlight's victory in the Listed Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YO Classic in January at Aquis Park.
The daughter of Zoustar who is raced by Aquis and partners and trained by Tony McEvoy, had a memorable campaign when winning five starts back-to-back – including the Group 2 ATC Silver Slipper Stakes and the Group 3 ATC Magic Night Stakes – before finishing 3rd in the Group 1 Golden Slipper behind Estijaab and Oohood.
Meanwhile the Toby Edmond's trained Whypeeo came close to making it an Aquis-raced double at the Gold Coast on Saturday when a game 2ndfrom a wide draw, in R7; the Group 3 Brandons Gold Coast Guineas won by Champagne Cuddles. The 3YO was an impressive 4L winner when resuming in the Listed Invader at Aquis Mick Dittman Plate on his last start and is another Aquis runner with a promising campaign ahead of him.
In R8, the penultimate race on the card, Domesday's 4YO Oregon's Day was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Attwood Marshall Hollindale Stakes (1800m) for trainer Mick Price and the filly's earnings now stand at close to $800,000.
A winner of the Listed MRC Thoroughbred Club Cup (1200m) at 2 (just like Aquis' new sire for 2018 Kobayashi), the filly went on to win the Group 3 MVRC Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at 3 and the 4YO has not finished out of the first four in her five starts this prep, which also include a 2ndin the Group 1 ATC Coolmore Classic when beaten a head by another daughter of Domesday in Daysee Doom.
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