Second Stakes in a Week for Sebring's Wu Gok

Mark Smith - Friday September 6

Wu Gok had two younger siblings beat him to the punch in landing a stakes win but the six-year-old son of Sebring is fast making up for lost time adding Friday's Listed Wyong Cup to his last start win in the Group III ATC Premier's Cup at Rosehill.

Settled just off a hot pace by James McDonald, the Chris Waller-trained gelding took control coming around the home turn and was strong to the line to defeat the Japanese-bred gelding Hush Writer (Rulership) by one and a half lengths with the winner's stablemate Vaucluse Bay (Al Maher) a nose back in third. (images Steve Hart)

Advertisement


Wu Gok carries the colours of Heritage Bloodstock that have achieved Group I success for the Waller stable aboard Champion 3YO Colt The Autumn Sun and dual Oaks winner Egg Tart.

"I felt like I was on The Autumn Sun halfway up," McDonald said.

"He did a great job today – found a really nice position early and I let him stride.

"He beat me last Saturday and I learned a little bit off him because he stayed on really well and I thought there won't be a horse that looks better than him today and he raced accordingly.

"It was a great effort by the team to back him up and have him run so well."

A $120,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Anton Koolman Bloodstock / Hermitage Thoroughbreds from the Widden Stud draft, Wu Gok advances his record to 9 wins, 6 seconds and 3 thirds from 32 starts with earnings of $576,035.

Bred by Robert Anderson and foaled and raised at Widden Stud, Wu Gok is the first foal of the Redoute's Choice mare Lipari who went from a 12-start, stakes-placed, maiden to one of the most valuable mares in the nation.

A $300,000 Easter Yearling, Lipari was purchased by Olly Tait's Twin Hills Stud for $170,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale carrying a filly by More Than Ready (USA), which was sold for $550,000 to Strawberry Hill Stud at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but that is just part of the story.

When Twin Hills purchased Lipari, the daughter of Redoute's Choice had colts by Pierro and Sepoy waiting in the wings.

The Pierro colt named Levendi won the Group I ATC Australian Derby while the Sepoy colt named Marcel from Madrid won the Group III National Stakes at Morphettville.

Lipari's three year-old Sebring filly named Lombardia was a $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Widden draft for George Moore Bloodstock and is showing promise, finiahing fourth at Hawkesbury at her most recent start.

Twin Hills consigned Lipari to the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud shelled out $1,600,000 to secure her carrying an October 18 service to I Am Invincible.

Advertisment
More Reading...
G1 Stradbroke Next for War Machine
Hot favourite War Machine made light work of his rivals in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday and it is now all systems go as the four-year-old son of Harry Angel (IRE) heads towards the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.  
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 24
Here is the full list of 102 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Philia Highlights Oaks Claims With Tenacious The Roses Win
Successful last time out in the Listed Princess Stakes when becoming the 30th stakes winner for her sire All Too Hard, the David Vandyke trained Philia went four from four this time in, leading through to win the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben.
Flashy Grey Kingman Colt Wins Irish 2,000 Guineas
Juddmonte Farms have been firing through spring of the euro flat season and they produced the quinella overnight at The Curragh with Kingman colts finishing one and two in the Group I Irish 2,000 Guineas (1m) and leading the way was Field of Gold, who was purchased as a weanling  for €530,000.
Mixed Fortuned for Aussie Connected Sprinters
There were two important sprint races run overnight in the UK and Ireland and both had key runners with strong Australian interest in Zoustar mare Mgheera and the former Waterhouse  Bott trained colt Storm Boy.
Antino King of Doomben with Track Record Breaking Victory
Trainer Tony Gollan has earmarked the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) as the long-range target for star galloper Antino after a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday in track record time.
Almanzor Keeps Winners Coming for Moody- Coleman
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Roadcone led his rivals a merry dance when winning the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on Saturday, bringing up a treble for the stable and jockey Luke Cartwright.
Melbourne Cup Winning Trainer Secures $625,000 Sebring Colt
Widden Stud’s much missed Sebring achieved his best result of the sale so far at Magic Millions on Friday when a stunning colt from Miss Rose de Lago fetched $625,000 to the bid of Danny O’Brien.
Brisbane Possible for Resurgent Velocious
Group One winner Velocious bounced back to her brilliant best in the Jarvis Trading (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, raising the possibility of a trans-Tasman mission.
Best On Breeding
It's an embarrassment of three-year-old riches for Godolphin with In Secret and Golden Mile favoured to fight out Saturday's $1,000,000 Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill a week after Aft Cabin went to the head of betting for the Caulfield Guineas following a three and a half-length romp in the Guineas Prelude.