Making just his second trip to the races, the progressive Vancouver colt Exhibition opened his winning account in Saturday’s Magna Grecia New To Coolmore Hcp (1500m) at Randwick to ring up winner number seven for his Golden Slipper winning sire.
Ridden by Andrew Adkins for Richard and Michael Freedman, Exhibition was one of the first to come off the bridle, however he answered Adkins every call in the straight to worry out the favourite Angel Helena (More Than Ready) by a short-half-head with the filly Silhouette (Teofilo) long-neck back in third.
“He is going to go on to bigger and better things,” Adkins said.
“He might need a bit of headgear to switch him on a bit. I was positive early but when I brought him back all he wanted to do was relax.
“A mile to 2000 metres should be right up his alley.”
Co-trainer Michael Freedman said the stable will up it sights for Exhibition in the spring.
“He is a very tough colt, still very much a work in progress,” Freedman said.
“He’s done a very good job to go straight from 1200 metres to 1500 metres on a pretty heavy track today.
“He is a bit different to his half-brother Japonisme, who was obviously a speed horse, this bloke looks as if he will get plenty further.
“Richard and I will have a chat about it, but we might give him a bit of a break now and aim at some of the better staying races in the spring.
“He was a $75,000 pass-in at Karaka so I’m glad to have had a chat with Coolmore after the sale.
Purchased by James Bester Bloodstock for $80,000 when offered by Coolmore Stud at the 2018 National Weanling Sale, Exhibition failed to make his $100,000 reserve when consigned by Hallmark Stud to Book 1 of the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to Choisir’s Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Japonisme, Exhibition is the fifth winner from six to race out of the Encosta De Lago mare Haiku who was purchased by Coolmore Australia / China Horse Club for $580,000 2016 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Haiku is a half-sister to the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks heroine Tapildo (Rhythm) and Group II STC Silver Slipper Stakes winner Plagiarize (Stravinsky).
Five of Vancouver’s six winners in Australia have won in the metropolitan area and the sixth is Group III Breeders’ Plate runner-up Postcode who is one of three stakes performers for the son of Medaglia d’Oro (USA).
Vancouver also had a recent winner in South Africa when mount Pleasant scored at Turffontein for Mike de Kock.
