A pair of Premier Yearling Sale 3YOs announced themselves as serious Spring contenders with dominant Group wins on Saturday as Inglis graduates won Stakes races in four States.
Magnificent colt North Pacific (Brazen Beau x Up In Lights) - who topped the 2018 Premier Sale at $800,000 – surged into G1 Golden Rose favouritism with a stunning 5.3 length victory in the G3 Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick.
And star filly Bella Nipotina (Pride of Dubai x Bella Orfana) resumed with a strong all-the-way win in the G3 Quezette Stakes at Caulfield.
They joined Behemoth (G3 Spring Stakes at Morphettville) and Saracino (Listed Belmont Newmarket) as Stakes-winning Inglis graduates today.
This fantastic start to the 2020/21 racing season comes on the back of Inglis graduates having won 159 Stakes races through the 2019/20 Australian season, 10% more than graduates of the next best auction house.
North Pacific was having just his third career start and secured a second career victory with his annihilation, defeating Scone Yearling Sale graduate Bazooka in an Inglis graduates quinella.
North Pacific – bred by Victoria’s David Gillies – was the star attraction at the 2018 Premier Sale, where he was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds and purchased by Orbis Bloodstock.
Such was the dominance of the Hawkes Racing-trained youngster’s win today, TAB firmed him into a $4.50 outright favourite for the stallion-making Golden Rose at Rosehill on September 26.
Bhima’s Mike Fleming was anything but surprised by North Pacific’s dominance.
“Anyone who saw him at the Premier Sale, he never missed a beat and for a horse that was as busy as he was and to never jack up, never turn a hair, everything was always so natural for him then and it looks like that’s transferring into his race day manner as well,’’ Fleming said.
“He looked the real deal then and he certainly looks the real deal now.
“He always just had that attitude about him, even before he got to Oaklands, he’s always had such a great nature and constitution and nothing phases him.’’
North Pacific will now likely target the G2 Run To The Rose, a fortnight before the Golden Rose.
In Melbourne today, Bella Nipotina (pictured) lost her tag of ‘Australia’s best maiden’ in impressive fashion with a comfortable front-running win in the G3 Quezette Stakes.
The filly had competed at Stakes level in six of her seven career runs prior to today, which included second placings in the $2m Inglis Millennium and $500,000 Inglis Banner.
“She’s been very unlucky in her races to date and has been knocked off by some very nice horses,’’ winning trainer Ben Hayes said.
“Off her trials she looked like she’d really improved. We were going to go to a maiden but she trialled so well that we changed plans and went for the Stakes race instead and it’s turned out to be a very good decision.’’
Michael Christian’s Saconi Thoroughbreds bred Bella Nipotina and offered her through the Rosemont Stud draft at the Premier Yearling Sale, where she was purchased for $80,000 by Lindsay Park, Andrew Williams Bloodstock and Mt Hallowell Stud.
She has now won almost $650,000.
“We’ve always thought she’s a bloody nice horse, right from the start, and when David [Hayes] bought her at Premier my brother Brad and I stayed in for the ride,’’ Christian, who has since set up and manages Longwood Thoroughbred Farm, said.
“It’s so exciting for everyone. She thoroughly deserves it, she hasn’t finished further back than fourth.
“We’ve got the new farm now, we’re coming up to two years here at Longwood so it’s a great promotion for the farm as well.
“I can see the dam from here up the back, she’s in foal to Trapeze Artist and will go back to Pride of Dubai this season.’’
In Adelaide, Behemoth (All Too Hard x Penny Banger) returned for his spring campaign in emphatic fashion, scoring a big win in the G3 Spring Stakes at Morphettville.
He defeated G1 performer Dalasan in another Inglis graduates’ Stakes quinella.
Bred by Linda and Laurence Monds’ Wallings Bloodstock, Behemoth is a $120,000 Great Southern Sale weanling purchase for Heritage Bloodstock, from Tyreel.
And in Perth, Saracino (Per Incanto x Bella Daniela) provided the Inglis Digital platform with yet another Stakes winner when victorious in the Listed Belmont Newmarket.
Chris Gangemi of Gangemi Racing – a big supporter of the twice-monthly Inglis Digital Online Auctions - purchased Saracino for $32,500 in the June 2018 sale, where he was offered by Ballymore Stables.
The win comes in the same week as the online platform completed a seventh consecutive sale to gross $2m or more and celebrated a record price for a weanling sold at an online auction - Three Bridges’ Exceed And Excel colt realised $170,000 in the online Great Southern Sale.
Entries are now open for the August (Late) Online Auction and will close at midnight this coming Wednesday (August 19).
To enter, CLICK HERE.
The Sale will go live on Friday (August 21), with the final countdown of bidding to begin from 3pm the following Wednesday (August 26).
