The aggressive stance adopted by Racing NSW in taking on the Melbourne Spring Carnival with a series of lucrative races in Sydney produced a dream result for Star Thoroughbreds on Saturday when classy Shooting to Win colt Kubrick took out the inaugural $1million ATC Bondi Stakes (1600m).
The race proved a showcase for second crop sires with Kubrick defeating Dissident gelding Pancho with third place taken by Colada, whose sire Brazen Beau also had a stakes double at Moonee Valley courtesy of Ideas Man and Sartorial Splendor (read about them here).
The first two home were prepared by Chris Waller, who did a masterful job in bringing Kubrick back from a disastrous trip to Melbourne for the Caulfield Guineas, a race won by his sire in 2014.
Kubrick drew wide on that occasion, was slowly away and had a tough run before eventually beating just two runners to the line.
He rebounded here under a daring ride from Brenton Avdulla, powering through a narrow gap on the fence to score a dominant length victory over fast finishing Pancho taking his overall record to three wins from seven starts with earnings in excess of $800,000.
"It is amazing what good horses can do,” said Avdulla.
"My foot is on fire from the paint. He won like a top class colt. It is always nice to ride a winner, but with a million dollars next to it is even better.
“He wasn't beaten far in a Golden Rose, finishing next to Castelvecchio who was stiff not to win the Spring Champion. You forgave him the Caulfield Guineas after drawing wide and he didn't have much luck.
“Blinkers on today and a master trainer who always gets them spot on."
His stablemate Pancho was brave in defeat, the son of Dissident appealing as a bright prospect over further.
"He ran a tremendous race, he gave me a good feel going down to the barriers,” said his rider Glyn Schofield.
“Relaxed beautifully like you would want over the mile, he let go well, but the winner was too good."
A $250,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Star Thoroughbreds from the Two Bays Farm draft, Kubrick is the third winner of a $1million race this year for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds joining Invincibella (Magic Millions Mares) and Fiesta (Inglis Sprint).
Yet another success on Saturday for Victorian breeders, Kubrick was bred and sold by Two Bays Farm and is the first winner from Alcatraz, a three-quarter sister by Fastnet Rock to stakes-winner Chic Choice from the family of Group I winners Fairy King Prawn, Easy Rocking and Cosmic Endeavour, who is by Northern Meteor, the sire of Kubrick’s sire Northern Meteor.
Alcatraz has a yearling filly by Written Tycoon and has foaled this spring producing a colt by the same sire.
Kubrick might not have a stakes win on his resume yet, but he is the flagbearer for his sire Shooting to Win, who stands at Darley NSW at a fee of $22,000, a sum that is half that of his full brother Deep Field.
Kubrick a Star Winner of Inaugural $1million Bondi Stakes
Advertisment
Race Result - Bondi Stakes 1600m
Randwick Track: Good(3) Time: 1:34.75
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: B Avdulla 57
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: G Schofield 57
Tnr: G A Ryan Rdr: R Dolan 57
Tnr: Chris Anderson Rdr: Rachel King 57
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 57
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Jean Van Overmeire 57
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J Ford 55
Tnr: Ms K Waugh Rdr: J R Collett 57
Tnr: G A Ryan Rdr: G Boss 57
More Reading...
Streisand Delivers Blue Diamond Success – Half Brother Inglis Premier
Trainer Clinton McDonald recorded his second G1 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) victory in the last three years when his Magnus filly Streisand further improved off a last start success in the G2 MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (F) to take out Caulfield's $2m juvenile feature by three quarters of a length.
Reliable Man Stayer Wins G3 Avondale Cup
What a difference three weeks has made in the life of rugged stayer Final Return.
So You Think Mare Wins G3 Mannerism
The Michael Mehegan trained Bossy Benita broke her maiden on February 26 last year and 12 months on the four year-old So You Think mare is now a stakes-winner after scoring a bold front running victory in the $200,000 Group III MRC Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Yulong and Ocean Park Quinella G1 New Zealand Oaks
Yulong Investments has made a splash in New Zealand this season, buying up the nation’s leading three-year-old filly talent, and they were once again rewarded at Ellerslie on Saturday when sealing the quinella in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).
Brazen Beau Stakes Double As Cinsault Wins G2 Millie Fox Stakes
Minutes after 60/1 shot Power Beau won the Listed SAJC City Of Marion Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville to become the 28th stakes winner for Darley’s Brazen Beau, the Michael Freedman trained Cinsault won the G2 ATC Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill to become the 29th stakes winner for her sire.
Outstanding Return For Sheza Alibi in Angus Armanasco Stakes
Really coming into her own last time in with back to back stakes victories highlighted by an almost six length victory in the G2 MRC Sandown Guineas (1600m), Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Sheza Albi returned in emphatic fashion on Saturday, winning the $300,000 G2 MRC Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m).
Ninja Wins G2 Hobartville – Half-Brother for Inglis Easter
The $400,000 Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday offered up a mouthwatering selection of some of the most desirable three year-old colts in the country, but the victor was a gelding that has more owners than all the other runners put together.
Bright Future for Shooting To Win 3YO
Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson admits he still hasn’t worked out whether enigmatic three-year-old Mascarpone has a sprinting or staying future ahead of him, but what he does know is that he has an exciting prospect on his hands whichever way the cards fall.
New Winner for Shooting to Win
Hallowed Crown was not the only Darley young gun with a winner on the board on Thursday with Shooting to Win also chiming in with a winner of his own at Warrnambool after Testino saluted as a hot favourite.
Wild Ruler Colt Blasts Sydney 2YOs in G2 Silver Slipper
The Golden Slipper market was again given an almighty shake up when the Philip Stokes trained Wild Ruler colt Stretan Ruler put the Sydney juveniles to shame when thrashing them to win the$300,000 Group II ATC Silver Slipper (1100m) by a wide margin.