An Easter graduate victorious in a G1, an Inglis Digital star winning a $1.5m race and a monumental pedigree update ahead of Thursday’s Ready2Race Sale at Riverside.
That was the wash-up from today’s action at Caulfield and Rosehill which saw the talented Tony Gollan-trained 5YO Transatlantic (Snitzel) win the G1 Toorak Handicap and perennial winner Headley Grange prove too strong again in the $1.5m Alan Brown Stakes.
The headline act was the tenacious victory by Transatlantic, defying a late surge from a host of rivals to secure his first G1 victory in the $1m contest.
Offered by Segenhoe Stud – whose colours he races in – the Go Bloodstock-bred Transatlantic is a $360,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase for his trainer Gollan, Harbour Equine and John Foote.
He has now won seven of his 20 career starts for $1.4m in earnings and becomes the 111th G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018.
Gollan said Transatlantic (pictured) was a horse he has long held a strong opinion of and was anything but surprised that he’s now a G1 winner.
“I’ve always liked this horse,’’ the trainer said.
“We gelded him at the end of his 3YO year and that was the makings of him. He’s always had the ability to go to this level, he’s a real quality galloper and I don’t see why he can’t be a Weight For Age horse in the future.
“We had to overcome a wide barrier but [jockey] Mark [Zahra] had an absolute plan of what he wanted to do, the horse reacted beautifully to it and we got the job done when it mattered in the Group 1.’’
Segenhoe’s Kevin Maloney added: “It’s great, he’s always been a good horse.
“He took a bit of settling in but he’s going great guns now, as we saw today.
“We took the gamble to lead and Tony had him in great shape. He’d finished 2nd at his two starts before this so it’s nice to get the win.’’
Today’s win was not only a huge result for Gollan, Transatlantic’s primary owners Segenhoe Stud and all his connections but also for his Stay Inside half brother, which will be offered by Hannover Lodge as lot 26 at Thursday’s Ready2Race Sale at Riverside.
The colt (ex Gust Of Wind) is an Easter Sale purchase this year and buyer agent James Mitchell explained his preparation leading into the Ready2Race Sale.
“He actually had a foot abscess which set him back four-to-six weeks so he was going into his breeze off only a five-week prep,’’ Mitchell said.
“He’s got a lovely nature, he’s so easy to do anything with and his breeze time (11.94) isn’t at all reflective of his ability, it was simply that off such a short prep we wanted to show his beautiful action rather than worry about his time as much.
“He was born and raised at Segenhoe and has been prepped by Nathan Doyle for Thursday’s sale and he’s going to make a beautiful late 2YO, 3YO and even older horse, like his half brother today who is now a G1 winner as a 5YO.’’
Inspections for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale begin at Riverside on Monday, with the sale beginning from midday Thursday.
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Meanwhile at Rosehill today Headley Grange (Exosphere) scored a career-high victory in the $1.5m Alan Brown Stakes.
Remarkably it was the Joe Pride-trained 5YOs 11th career win at start No.22.
Headley Grange was purchased by HDB Bloodstock – on behalf of Bob Manwaring - in the 2023 Inglis Digital November (Late) Online Sale for $120,000 after just three career starts.
He has since won 10 races for $1.7m in prizemoney.
Manwaring was trackside to witness today’s win and was in awe of Headley Grange.
“He’s just a machine,’’ an ecstatic Manwaring said.
“I knew we’d have to pay between $100,000 and $150,000 for him when he sold on Inglis Digital but that looks bloody cheap now!
“What a horse, what a ride he’s taken us on and now it’s off to the [$3m] Big Dance, let’s see if we can do it again.’’
Earlier on the Rosehill program it was an Easter Yearling Sale quinella in the G3 The Nivison as Gangsta Granny (Written Tycoon) nosed our Monte Supreme.
Trained by Team Hawkes, Gangsta Granny is a $240,000 Easter purchase for Eric Koundouris from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft, who offered her on behalf of breeder Stuart Ramsey.
The 4YO mare has now won four of her eight starts and will be aimed at the $2m The Invitation at Randwick in a fortnight.
