Surprise Baby Out to Emulate Dad in the Melbourne Cup

Mark Smith - Saturday October 5

Winner of the $400,000 Group II Adelaide Cup (3200m) in March, the $5,5000 Gavelhouse purchase Surprise Baby earned a ticket to the $8 million Melbourne Cup on November 5 when he stormed home to win Saturday's $500,000 Group III The Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington.

Sent off favourite off the back of a fourth-place finish in the Group II Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago, the Paul Preusker-trained son of the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking came from back in the field under a patient Jordan Childs ride to win by one and a half lengths from the Hawkes-trained Supernova (GB) (Intello) with the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Wolfe ( Novellist) three-quarter of a length back in third. (image Grant Courtney)

Advertisement


"It was just a super ride and he's a super horse," Preusker said.

"The (Andrew) Ramsden (second to Steel Prince) sort of threw us a hurdle and we dealt with it.

"I think he's the real deal. He'll improve a lot off today, he's not wound up, I'll strip him better again. It's just a matter of getting him home and letting the feet hit the ground and we'll come up with another plan."

The lightly raced 5yo gelding advanced his record to 5 wins a second and a third from 10 starts with earnings of $723,735.

He went through the 2016 NZB Select Yearling Sale where he failed to make his modest $20,000 reserve and again at the 2016 Ready To Run Sale of 2YOs where could not find a buyer willing to shell out $35,000.

He finally found a home when purchased on Gavelhouse.com for just $5,500 by his owner John Fiteni as an unraced 3-year-old gelding.

His dam Bula Baby is a two-time race winner by Kaapstad out of the top-class performer Miss Tessla (Crested Wave) a nine-time race winner with stakes victories include the Group II Sedgwick Classic Stakes, and the Listed VRC Matron Stakes and she was also eight-times placed in Group races.

Bula Baby has a 3yo filly by Proisir who was sold for just $1000 at the NZB Karaka May Sale, a 2yo colt by Super Easy and a yearling colt by Proisir. She wasn't covered last year.

Advertisment
More Reading...
All the Way Anders Winner for Myracehorse
The Myracehorse colours struck again at Doomben on Wednesday carried by progressive Anders filly Diversity, who broke her maiden in good style.
Written Tycoon’s Pictor Leads Home Waller Trifecta
Having made his debut back in June with a narrow second behind fellow Yulong owned Written Tycoon colt Grand Prairie, who three starts later won the Group 3 ATC Up And Coming Stakes, Chris Waller’s progressive Pictor appreciated the step to 1400m to score at just his third career start.
New Stakes-Winner for Cup Hero Shocking
Melbourne Cup hero Shocking has been enjoying success this spring with his classy stayer Surprise Baby, who was fifth in the Melbourne Cup, the Rich Hill Stud based sire also producing a new Group III winner in New Zealand on Wednesday.
Metro Winner Adds to Yes Yes Yes Spring Surge
October is shaping as a great month for Gooree Stud’s new addition Yes Yes Yes with the 2019 Everest hero reeling off four winners in the past week including Maybe Moet, who saluted at Randwick on Wednesday.
Can a Cup Winner Sire a Cup Winner?
In the aftermath of lightly-tried stayer Surprise Baby’s victory in the Group III Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday, a ballot-free exemption race for the Group I  Melbourne Cup (3200m), it was hard not to spare a thought for Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson.
More Success for Rich Hill Stallion Shocking
Rich Hill stallion Shocking has had a wonderful start to the season with his progeny to the fore in both Australia and New Zealand.
Saturday Double Caps Great Week for for Shocking
Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson was a happy man as he reflected on a wonderful week for his resident stallion Shocking while sipping on his Sunday morning coffee.
Les Young Scholarship sets Miriam on track for industry leadership
Miriam Drinnan’s vision for a big, bold career in the Thoroughbred industry has just been turbo-charged thanks to the Les Young Scholarship, an award supported by the AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program.
Wootton Bassett 3YO Impresses at Avondale
Promising three-year-old Kygo Star overcame a wide journey to come out on top in a tight finish in the Allspark Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m) at Avondale on Wednesday.
Three 2.2million Guineas Colts Top Second Day of Tattersalls Book 1 - Two by Wootton Bassett
The second day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale saw a further six lots realise seven-figure prices headed by a trio of colts, two by the late WOOTTON BASSETT, both bought by Amo Racing, and one by FRANKEL, at 2,200,000 guineas. The average was an impressive 352,672 guineas.