With just under $3,000,000 in prizemoney, Saturday’s lucrative VOBIS Gold day at Caulfield allows some not so familiar names to cash in big.
The highlights include the $1,000,000 The Showdown (1200m) and Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m), which, as is the nature of things nowadays, the second least rewarding event on the nine-race card.
Darley has made considerable inroads in the Victorian market, and the headline act in Victoria, Brazen Beu, has the short-priced favourite in Bello Beau. Other Darley stallions represented include Impending (Sir Bailey and Make It Happen), Holler (Don’t Change and Hollerlujah), and Street Boss (USA) (Rue De Palais)/
Noor Elaine Farm’s Ilovethiscity has two $21 chances in the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Kings Consort and the Nick Ryan-trained capital Express.
We like the filly Capital Express, one of two runners in the race for Ryan, a rising star in the trainer’s ranks in Victoria. His other runner is the Holler gelding, Don’t Change, who had little luck behind Hollerlujah on debut.
On debut, Capital Express was the consummate professional in a 1000m maiden at Cranbourne.
From an inside barrier, Billy Egan controlled the race from the front. She battled on strongly to defeat the luckless Plus Fours. That highly regarded daughter of Cable Bay (IRE) came out to run third behind Liberty Steps at Caulfield.
Bred and offered for sale by Chris Rentessis, Capital Express was a $25,000 buy for Express Racing at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale
At the same sale, Chris Rentessis sold an Ilovethiscity filly out of Handcut to Annabel Neasham Racing / B McGuire for $120,000. That filly named Diamond City broke her maiden by two and a half lengths at Wyong on April 14.
Diamond City is a sister to the Rentessis-bred King Of Hastings, winner of the Listed SunCTC Glasshouse Handicap and over $616,000.
King Of Hastings lines up in the $250,000 VOBIS Sprint, which follows The Showdown.
Capital Express is the second foal and first winner from the unraced Bel Esprit mare Roman Belle.
A $45,000 Inglis Premier Yearling, Roman Belle is out of the talented racemare Ticket To Rome.
Trained by Dan O’Sullivan, Ticket To Rome defeated Inaflury in the Group III VRC Drumstick Gold Plate (Frances Tressady Stakes) at Flemington.
A daughter of At Talaq, Ticket To Rome is a sister to Dizzy Lass, the dam of Group II MVRC Champagne Stakes winner Truly Wicked (Rubiton).
Truly Wicked is the dam of Amber Sky (Exceed And Excel), the Champion Griffin in Hong Kong in 2011-12, who recorded a record-breaking win in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint.
Group 1 ATC Royal Randwick Guineas winner Ilovethiscity has ridden the wave of fashion over his ten seasons at stud.
It peaked in 2020 with a book of 120 mares after his daughter El Dorado Dreaming scored a miraculous win in the Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes before her purchase by Coolmore for $1,350,000 at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
