A $575,000 Inglis Easter purchase from Newgate Farm for PR Funds, Snitzel gelding Yorskhire has been a work in progress for quite some time, but the five year-old finally translated talent into a Black Type victory when taking out the $250,000 Group III ATC Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Trained by John O’She and Tom Charlton, Yorkshire won a Hawkesbury maiden on debut by four lengths in July last year and has made steady progress through his grades ever since.
Resuming from a spell in the $1million The Hunter two weeks ago he was expected to fire and was sent out favourite, but trailed in unplaced with cardiac arrhythmia later revealed as the source of his failure.
Punters were keen to forgive on Saturday with Zac Lloyd to ride and they were rewarded when he led for home and kicked clear before holding on to win by half a length.
Yorkshire has the overall record of seven wins and two placings from 10 starts with prizemoney topping $500,000 and will head to a potentially lucrative pay day next month in the $2million Group II ATC The Ingham (1600m).
"I was quite concerned coming into the race because there was a chance he could lob in behind a couple of horses that weren't going to take him too far,” said John O’Shea.
"The concern was he was going to be in the gates for a long time from one and he might have been a bit tardy away which would have given the opportunity for horses that are wider in the market to cross him and that would have presented with some issues.
"Once he jumped very well, Zac Lloyd did the right thing and controlled the race."
Zac Lloyd was well pleased with the race panned out.
"It was very important to jump like we did, especially when you're on a horse that likes to gallop from barrier one," Lloyd said.
"Executing is so important, and he did that today.
"Watching the replay, he stretched them right out but it didn't feel like that underneath me, he just felt like he was in a rhythm and when he does that he's a very good horse.
"He's still learning, there's plenty of upside. Mentally he's still a bit of a baby but today will do him the world good heading to The Ingham in two weeks' time."
Bred by SF Bloodstock and foaled and raised at Newgate, Yorkshire is the first winner from Chanteline (USA), an imported Group III winner by Majesticperfection.
Chanteline has a yearling colt by I Am Invincible and produced a filly this spring by Extreme Choice, so a Black Type win for Yorkshire is very valuable indeed.
Yorkshire is the 163rd stakes-winner for the late champion sire Snitzel.
