The focus on Saturday is again on the meeting at Rosehill Gardens, where the Japanese Horse Of The Year Maurice (JPN) has an excellent opportunity to become the seventh first-crop stallion to put a stakes winner on the board.
Following a luckless debut and a thumping win at his second start, the Kim Waugh-trained Conrad looks well placed over 1400 metres in the Group III Schweppervescence (Baillieu).
Conrad was held up for a run at a vital stage when a hard-charging second to Mazu in an 1100 metre maiden at Cantebury when on debut. That fellow son of Maurice (JPN) went to the Group III Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill on March 13, where he did not have the rub of the green when beaten less than half a length behind Shaquero and Tiger Of Malay. The subsequent Golden Slipper third, Ingratiating, was back in fifth.
The day previous, Conrad had taken a much easier option when he thumped nine overmatched opponents by upwards of three and three-quarter lengths in a 1200m maiden ay Wyong.
Mark Waugh bred Conrad in association with the Yee family, who had purchased the dam, No Comment, for $90,000 at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes for her first four starts, No Comment debuted at Moonee Valley back in October 2008 when narrowly defeated by Starspangledbanner in the inaugural runner of the Inglis Banner.
Three weeks later, the daughter of Danzero finished fourth in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes, after which she was spelled.
Returned to Sydney, No Comment finished third over a 1000m at Warwick Farm before she stepped up to the Group II Reisling Stakes at Rosehill, where she was never a factor behind More Joyous and Melito.
When she reappeared at three, No Comment was in the stables of Kim Waugh.
It took No Comment nine starts to break her maiden. That came over 1100m at Wyong on March 5 2010. She was destined to win just once more in an 18-start career. That came at the expense of the future Group 1 Coolmore Classic heroine Ofcourseican at Canterbury.
So, No Comment is not well served by the basic statistics of two wins and five placings with earnings of $106,670.
Bred by Dr Paul Craddock, No Comment is a sister to the top-class Hinting and a half-sister to the flying Rubiton gelding Lucky Secret.
Hinting won the Group III MRC Jumeirah International Stakes at Caulfield and was runner-up to Special Harmony in the Group 1 1000 Guineas.
Lucky Secret was a three-time Group II winner who won 14 and placed in five of his 25 starts with earnings a shade under $1million.
The son of Rubiton defeated Apache Cat and Wanted in the Group II Schillaci Stakes and was denied a deserved Group 1 by Swiss ace in the 2009 Oakleigh Plate.
No Comment has not set the world on fire to date. She has two winners from her first four foals to race.
Waiting in the wings are a yearling colt by No Nay Never (USA) and a weanling colt by Your Song. No Comment was covered by Pariah last spring.
Hopefully, Saturday’s Group III contest will be the springboard to greater success for Conrad and a milestone first stakes-winner for Maurice (JPN).
