Group I winning Fastnet Rock mare Nechita topped the 2013 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale when selling for $1.55 million to Coolmore and has now produced two stakes-winners with four year-old mare Forbearance capturing the Listed Galtres Stakes (1m4f) at York in the UK last week, while her imported son Harpo Marx (IRE) won the Group III ATC Premier’s Cup (2000m) at Kembla on Saturday.
A six year-old gelding by Galileo, the Bjorn Baker trained Harpo Marx has been in great form this preparation for his big team of Darby Racing owners and enjoyed a weight drop and soft ground for his first attempt at Black Type.
He finished with a well-timed run under Rachel King to win by a short neck over Spirit Ridge (IRE), another Darby Racing owned import that was having his first run back from a break.
Harpo Marx was bought at the 2019 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale for 60,000 guineas by De Burgh Equine/ Darby Racing after winning a maiden at Tipperary and has proven an astute purchase with his overall record now seven wins and six placings from 24 starts with prizemoney in excess of $420,000.
"I must say, when I gave him his first few gallops from Europe, I thought, 'we're in a bit of trouble here'," Baker said.
"But he kept improving. You never know with these horses, look after them, give them time, they keep getting better and better, stronger and stronger.
"I think he is going to be well suited in a race like the Newcastle Cup and maybe a race like the Metrop (G1).”
He is a full brother to stakes-winner Forbearance and they are the only two winners from Nechita’s four foals to race so far, all of them by Galileo.
Harpo Marx is the fifth stakes-winner by Galileo bred from a daughter of Fastnet Rock, the nick running at 27% stakes-winners to runners, that figure mirroring the success of the nick the other way around which has produced 23 stakes-winners worldwide.
