Displaying the courage that carried his sire Dunaden (FR) to victories in the Melbourne Cup, Hong Kong Vase and Caulfield Cup, the Andrew Balding-trained Ranch Hand toughed out a maiden stakes success in Thursday’s Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes (2m) at Newmarket.
The 4yo gelding snapped a six start losing streak that dated back to September last year.
With Oisin Murphy in the saddle, Rich Hand defeated last year’s winner Withhold (Champs Elysees) by a half-length with Ghostwatch (Dubawi) one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Balding believes that Ranch Hand's future will be over the fences.
“He is a home bred and I’m delighted to have won a Listed race with him,” Balding told Racing TV.
“He was beaten by Withhold last time, but in fairness it is probably the first time he has had his conditions this season. Two miles with give in the ground is what he wants.
“He has shown a fair level of form on the Flat and I think we will now go jumping with him as he will be a lovely hurdler.
“We used to keep the odd jumper in the yard, we’ve not had one for a little while now, but it was something everyone was keen to do.”
Ranch Hand is the best of three winners from four to race out of the stakes-placed High Chaparral (IRE) mare Victoria Montoya who is a half-sister to Group II Oettingen Rennen winner Passing Glance (Polar Falcon), Group III Diomed Stakes winner Hidden Meadow (Selkirk) and Listed winners Kingsclere (Fairy King) and Scorned (Selkirk).
They are among the seven stakes horses produced by the stakes-placed Spurned (Robellino) whose stakes-placed daughter Casual Glance (Sinndar) is the dam of the top-class Hong Kong performer Ka Ying Star (Cityscape) who defeated southern Legend in the Lion Rock Trophy Handicap in May and was runner-up to Beauty Generation in the in the Group 1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup at sha tin earlier this year.
Ranch Hand becomes the first stakes-winner for Dunaden who was a remarkable rags to riches story.
Purchased for €1,500 by Meridian International for Dutch owner-breeder Jetty Van Der Hulst as a foal at Arqana in December 2006 before going on to earn more than $10 million for Sheikh Fahad, Dunaden died in May last year from what was described as complications following a paddock accident at his home at Overbury Stud.
