Fresh off a maiden stakes win at Kembla Grange, the high-priced Snitzel colt Bruckner held off a hard-charging Artorius to open his stakes-account in Saturday’s Group III HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caufield.
Given the run of the race by John Allen, Buckner tracked the leaders General Beau and Zerelle. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained son of Snitzel did best in a driving finish to defy Flying Artie’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Artorius, who came from last to fail by a short-neck.
The lone filly in the race, the Group III David Coles Stakes winner and Group III Quezette Stakes runner-up Heresy (Street Boss) was a head back in third.
A sales-topping $725,000 purchase by Aquis Farm from the Blue Gum Farm draft at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Buckner made his debut with a well-beaten third in the Blue Diamond Preview at Canberra on February 19.
Three weeks later he beat just one home in the Group III Pago Pago stakes at Rosehill won by Shaquero.
Off the scene for twenty weeks, Bruckner broke his maiden with a hard-fought success over 1200m at Kembla Grange.
Ciaron Maher said Bruckner will likely be kept to sprint distances this preparation.
“The team has done a great job with this horse in Sydney,” Maher said.
“You can see that he’s a little bit keen during the race. It was a brilliant ride by Johnny. He just had to harness him and push him out at the right time.
“It’s great to get another decent horse for Aquis. They just keep coming up trumps and there’s a host of other really good stable clients in the horse. It’s very exciting.
“We just took him back and the good confidence building run last start, and we were going towards the Ming Dynasty over 1400m, but I just thought the 1400 might have been a bridge too far at the moment.
“We opted to bring him down here and he actually galloped with Generation on the course proper here on Tuesday. I took a line through General Beau there, so I thought he was right in the race, and he was going to get the right run on paper. Thankfully it all went to plan.
“I don’t think he’ll go to the Guineas. I think he was still fairly keen today so maybe he heads towards a Coolmore. Still a bit more water to go under the bridge and he’s still furnishing.”
Bred by Oakland Park Stud, Bruckner is a three-quarter brother to Aquis Farm’s Group III Vain Stakes and Inglis 2yo Premier winner Jukebox.
He is the first foal of the Lonhro mare Jestajingle a daughter of Listed WATC Gimcrack Stakes winner Jestatune (Rory’s Jester), a half-sister to Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes winner Ihtsahymn (Ihtiram).
Jestajingle has a 2yo Street boss colt named Triple Jay and visited Zoustar last spring, the mating producing the colt pictured below at Blue Gum Farm.
Bruckner becomes the 111th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud's multiple champion, Snitzel who standa for a fee of $165,000 this spring.
