The near-white six-year-old Foxwedge gelding Albumin charged between runners at the 100m mark of Saturday’s Listed Kia Ora Stud Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill a maiden stakes success at his 38th start.
It has not been for want of trying that the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained gelding failed to earn black-type. Nine weeks after disappointing in the Group III Maurice McCarten Stakes, Albumin made his 16th stakes appearance in the Ortensia. He cauld not have cut it any finer. Albumin defeated the Sidestep gelding Surreal Step by a nose with the Medaglia d'oro (USA) mare Adelong one and a quarter lengths back in third.
Alexiou said the stable was disappointed when the track came up a soft 7.
“We have been happy the way he has been going at home, but all his better form has been on top of the ground,” Alexiou said.
“I said to Luke Price in the trainer’s room that if this was a good 4 or a good 5 he would be really hard to beat.
“The owners have been patient and he has been a good solid horse for the stable.
A $75,000 purchase by Gerald Ryan out of the Kornong Station draft at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Albumin advances his record to seven wins, five seconds and two thirds from 38 starts with earnings of $610,525.
He is the second stakes-winner after Singapore Stakes winner Holy Empire (Holy Roman Emperor) for the Secret Savings mare Dushanbe.
A daughter of the Group 1 VRC Oaks and Group 1 VATC One Thousand Guineas heroine Tristanagh (Sir Tristram), Dushanbe has a yearling colt by Flying Artie and was covered by Xtravagant last spring.
Albumin becomes the 21st stakes-winner for Foxwedge, who stands at Woodside Park at a fee of $11,000.
