Seven newcomers faced off against four lightly raced promising types in a two-year-old maiden over 1000m at Wyong on Tuesday, and it was a first starter that prevailed.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sealion went off an unloved $41 chance, but typical of the stable, the son of Astern proved to be a true professional.
Ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, Sealion was caught three-wide, without cover, for the trip. He was there to be beaten at the 200m; nevertheless, he bravely held the challenge of the fast-finishing favourite Mabel (Dream Ahead) by with The Globe (Frosted) back in third.
A $100,000 purchase by A Bott / Gai Waterhouse Racing / McKeever Bloodstock from the Evergreen Stud Farm draft at the 2020 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Sealion is the eighth live foal and the sixth winner for Element Of Danger.
A winning daughter of Red Ransom (USA), Element Of Danger is a sister to the 6-time Group 1 winner and 2009-10 Australian Horse Of The Year, Typhoon Tracy, the dual Listed winner Red Element, and the stakes-placed Kylikwong, who was runner-up in the Group 1 VRC Oaks and Group 1 SAJC Australian Oaks.
Kylikwong is the dam of Listed winner Cantonese and the unraced Lake Superior, the dam of the Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).
Element Of Danger has missed for the last three seasons.
Bred by Evergreen Stud Farm and Larry Nestadt, Sealion becomes the ninth winner in Australia and the tenth overall for Astern. The son of Medaglia d’Oro USA) has a stakes winner in New Zealand, the Listed Castletown Stakes victor Danger Strykes, to add to his Australian black-type success with Seradess.
Group 1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes hero Astern stands at Darley Stud, Aberdeen, in 2021 at a fee of $16,500.
