Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
Prepared by Cody Cole and ridden by Sam Collett, Silhouette oozed professionalism, crossing to lead the small field of three and was barely asked for an effort as she extended to win by four and a quarter lengths.
Silhouette had trialed well when third prior to her raceday outing and shapes as a classy prospect for Cole, who went to $120,000 to purchase the filly from the draft of Trelawney Stud at this year’s Karaka Book 1 Yearling Sale.
“I wasn’t surprised by the performance,” Cole said. ”She always looked like she could have taken that improvement from her trial and she has a brilliant action and attitude.
“I wouldn’t have gone to Trentham on debut if she didn’t have such a good constitution. We thought she was the right type of horse to go to a race like that because she eats and she isn’t fazed by anything, she is just a real trainable horse.
“She is only going to be better with six months under her belt but the way she covers the ground, she has got a pretty effective galloping action.
“She will go to the paddock, and it might be a week or it might be a month, but she wants more time. Whatever she is doing now, she is going to improve on if we do the right thing by her.”
While Cole hasn’t ruled out a tilt at the Listed TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), the Matamata conditioner said black-type options such as the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) on December 20 could be on the agenda.
“If we can get to the Karaka Millions and it works for her, we will have a crack, but at the same time I’d like to get some black-type first,” he said.
“But it all depends on how she looks in a week’s time. She has got to bounce through everything pretty well to be doing that and I will be putting the horse first.”
The first winner for Galileo’s son Armory, a Group Two winner at two and Group One placed before training on to be European Champion 3YO and runner-up in the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), Silhouette is out of the Exceed and Excel mare Fashion Sense, whose grand dam is star mare Elegant Fashion, winner of the Hong Kong Derby.
“She is a lovely balanced type with the scope to grow into a nice late two-year-old and early three-year-old,” Cole said.
“I went to the sales to buy a filly that I thought we can get some black type with and enhance her value, and I just loved her.”
Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison was delighted to see his popular young sire Armory register an early success.
“What a fantastic start for him, a winner from his first ever runner is very exciting,” Davison said.
“It’s a massive boost to get a winner so early, but it’s the style she did it in which makes you think there is a lot more to come from this filly.
“Armory’s early two-year-old performances were a key attraction. Physically he’s a strong forward type himself so it’s great to see him leave a two-year-old like her.
“He’s a horse who did it at all age groups, which shows his brilliant temperament and toughness which is what we all want in our racehorses.
“Silhouette looked an absolute professional for a two-year-old having her first start, it’s a real credit to Cody and I’m thrilled he’s got a nice one in his stable.”
Armory stands at Mapperley Stud this season for $10,000+gst and has covered more than 100 mares in each of his first three seasons at stud. – NZ Racing Desk
