It took eight starts for Grove Ferry (IRE) to break his maiden in Australia, but he chose the right place to do it when giving co-trainer Gai Waterhouse a tenth win in the Group III Furphy Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill.
With Tim Clarke in the saddle, the 6yo son of Excelebration (IRE) edged out the favourite Cadre Du Noir (USA) (War front) by a long-head with a long-neck back to the luckless Herman Hesse (Frankel) in third.
A 4-time winner in the UK for Andrew Balding, Grove Ferry (IRE) advances his record to five wins, three seconds, and four thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $286,123.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott said Grove Ferry (IRE) is likely to back up in the Group 1 Metropolitan.
“He’s a tough horse. It was good to see him put his head in front today because we’ve had him about 12 months now and he hasn’t been able to do that for us,” Bott said.
“Maybe getting out in trip has been the key. It was his first time over this distance for us, so that was the only unknown going here today.
“He can be a little bit keen in patches and it took a little while for Tim (Clark) to get him to settle but once he did he found a lovely rhythm and that really helped and that was probably the difference in the end.
“We wanted to see him tick that distance box today and I think he had done that very well. I know he’s had a while between runs coming here today but he had a really good foundation and a good lead-up prior to that. We came here with that in mind, that intention, that we’d leave that option open and I think off what we saw today it’s worthwhile.”
Andrew Balding purchased the son of Excelebration (IRE) for £30,000 from the Hollyhill Stud consignment at the 2018 Goffs-UK Premier Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to Group III Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial winner and Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup runner-up Recharge (Cape Cross), Grove Ferry (IRE) is one of ten winners from 11 to race out of the Robellino mare Rebelline.
Honoured as the Champion Older Female in Ireland in 2002 (Mile/Int.), Rebelline numbered the Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup among her six wins.
Grove Ferry (IRE) is the 15th stakes-winner for Excelebration (IRE). The 4-time Group 1 winning son of Exceed And Excel shuttled to Coolmore for four seasons.
