There were mixed emotions for the Chittick family of Waikato Stud following the running of a competitive class 1 over 1400m at Bendigo on Wednesday as their colourbearer Early Morning Rise had to play second fiddle to the promising Irish Playboy, a son of the Waikato Stud-bred dual Group 1 winning Savabeel mare Scarlett Lady,
In a race that featured three 3yos that had won their only start, both the winner and runner-up are by the champion Fastnet Rock.
The Danny O’Brien-trained mare Early Morning Rise had been on her own for a long way in the straight before Michael Poy found a seam on the Henry Dwyer-trained gelding Irish Playboy who shuffled back to near last on the turn after being cluttered up on the rail, before powering home to win by a long-neck.
The Fighting Sun gelding Inspired Sun was doing his best work at the finish to be a further one and a half lengths back in third.
It was the second win on the trot for Irish Playboy who had opened his winning account at Swan Hill after finishing second in two of his previous three starts.
Bred by Max Whitby and Neil Werrett, Irish Playboy was a $300,000 purchase by Henry Dwyer Racing / Randwick Bloodstock (FBAA) out of the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
He is the second winner from three to race out of the top-class Scarlett Lady (Savabeel) who was trained by Graeme Rogerson to win the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm and Group 1 New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie and a further four stakes races.
Scarlett Lady has an unraced 3to Snitzel filly named Tickle Me Scarlett in the Kris Lees stable and a 2yo Snitzel colt named Enjolras who is in the stable of Brad Widdup.
After missing to Snitzel in 2018, Scarlett Lady was one of 149 mares to visit triple Crown hero Justify (USA) at his first season at Coolmore in 2019.
