The $2m Inglis Millennium looms as an autumn target for Premier Yearling Sale star Ideas Man (Brazen Beau x Innovation Girl) following his strong debut win in the Listed Inglis Banner at The Valley.
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace – who purchased the popular colt for $575,000 at this year’s Premier Sale – believe they have “one of the best 2YOs going around’’ and it was hard to argue following today’s success.
Ideas Man won the $500,000 Inglis Banner - image Grant Courtney
“He’s got a great pedigree, by a super stallion, it’s a stallion’s pedigree,’’ Maher said.
“He’s very natural, his mother was a late 2YO and he’s among our best 2YOs this crop.
“He might have seemed expensive at the time but he seems cheap now.’’
Maher and Eustace received a pair of Swarovski Optik EL 32 Swarovision binoculars for being winning trainers of an Inglis Race Series event.
Bred by Des Pope, Ideas Man was born, raised and offered at the Premier Sale by Blue Gum Farm.
His $575,000 price tag saw him the third-most expensive colt sold at the sale.
Blue Gum’s Phil Campbell was thrilled with today’s result.
“It’s all well and good to sell the expensive ones but you want to see them come out and do it on the track and for this bloke to win on debut like that in a Stakes race such as the Inglis Banner is so rewarding for all of us here at the farm,’’ Campbell said.
“He was the perfect gentleman in the sales prep and he raced accordingly today. It’s a fantastic result.’’
Pope – who raced the dam Innovation Girl, who died at Blue Gum 12 days ago – always knew he had a special colt on his hands with Ideas Man.
“He just had something about him from birth,’’ Pope said.
“He’s always had a great temperament, he’s developed perfectly and he’s got to race day in outstanding shape. This is wonderful.’’
Ideas Man is raced by a large group of owners, many of whom are well known industry identities including Col and Janice McKenna, Ray and Susie Montague and Darley’s Andy Makiv.
Ideas Man’s win makes him the first horse eligible to win the $3m Inglis Triple Crown.
To win the Triple Crown and the $3m bonus, a horse must win either today’s or the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (Randwick, Saturday December 14) as well as the $2m Inglis Millennium (Warwick Farm, Saturday February 8) and the $1m Inglis Sires (Randwick, Day 1 of The Championships, Sat April 4).
