Promising Debut Winner for Justify

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday Sep 20

The Bob and Sandra Peters cerise and white colours were in the winner’s circle at Belmont on Wednesday when promising three year-old Justify (USA) gelding Pleasure Cruise made a winning debut.

Pleasure Cruise scores at Belmont - image Western RAcepix

Trained by Takahide Ikenushi and ridden by Willie Pike, Pleasure Cruise was a short priced favourite for the 1200m maiden and powered to the line for an easy length and a half win.

Advertisement

Pleasure Cruise was a $110,000 purchase for D Smith from the Valiant Stud draft at the Inglis ready 2 Race Sale where he breezed in 10.29 seconds. Pleasure Cruise is the second winner from winning Fastnet Rock mare Peaceful Sea, who made $1.75million as a yearling at Inglis Easter back in 2015.

Pleasure Cruise before the Ready 2 Race Sale.

Peaceful Sea comes from the family of dual Group I winner and leading US sire Grand Slam. She has an unnamed two year-old filly by Justify and is due to foal to Home Affairs.

Pleasure Cruise is the seventh winner from nine foals to race worldwide for Justify bred from mares by Fastnet Rock with Group II winning filly Learning to Fly the best of them.

Pleasure Cruise is the fifth Australian winner this season for Triple Crown hero Justify, who stands at Coolmore at a fee of $77,000.

Advertisment

Race Result - Prive On Sale Now - 22nd September Mdn 1200m

Belmont Park Track: Good(4) Time: 1:12.34
1
Pleasure Cruise
- 3g Justify (USA) x Peaceful Sea (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Takahide Ikenushi Rdr: W Pike 55.5
2
1.5
Holdout
- 3g Shooting To Win (AUS) x Lucky Kitty (AUS) (Lookin At Lucky (USA))
Tnr: N D Parnham Rdr: Chris Parnham 55.5
3
1.6
Major Mario
- 4g Vert De Grece (IRE) x Just Marika (AUS) (Grandera (IRE))
Tnr: Ms S Bakranich Rdr: T Turner 58
4
3.7
Striking Fella
- 3g Awesome Rock (AUS) x Kezzabelle (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: D & B Pearce Rdr: B Parnham 55.5
5
4.9
Grace Rose
- 3f Playing God (AUS) x Cadenza (AUS) (Oratorio (AUS))
Tnr: N D Parnham Rdr: Keshaw Dhurun 52
6
5.6
There Was A Time
- 3f Super One (AUS) x Very Angry Gal (AUS) (Gingerbread Man (AUS))
Tnr: Simon Miller Rdr: P Carbery 53.5
7
5.9
Douter
- 5m My Admiration (AUS) x Candle Smoke (AUS) (Trade Fair (GB))
Tnr: Brett Pope Rdr: Lucy Fiore 56
8
6.2
Private Sapling
- 4g Epaulette (AUS) x I Am Wildwood (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: Luke Fernie Rdr: P Harvey 58
9
6.9
Doubleyou Goldberg
- 4m Playing God (AUS) x Movie World (AUS) (Arazi (USA))
Tnr: T M Andrews Rdr: S Mc Gruddy 56
More Reading...
Unraced First Season Sires Trial Report
It’s been a pretty steady start to spring in terms of 2YO races and we are still waiting to see a first season sire post a winner, but there has been action aplenty at the trials which would indicate the pre-Christmas period is set to ignite.
Remembering Sunline – The Queen of the Cox Plate Before Winx
From our vantage point in 2026, we can look back at modern Cox Plate history and marvel at how quickly the years are passing.
Racing Industry Mourns Much Loved Izzy Neale
The thoroughbred racing industry is devastated tonight following news that apprentice jockey Izzy Neale, aged 22, has tragically died as the result of a race fall at Warren on Sunday.
G1 Aussie Pedigree Watch –Newly Minted
Pedigree does matter if you want to be winning races longer than 1200m, although in an interesting twist a colt bred on face value for speed is in fact from the family of Zabeel.
Remembering Northerly – The Greatest Caulfield Cup Winner This Century
It's Caulfield Cup week, and what better moment to revisit the life and times of one of the greatest - if not the greatest - Caulfield Cup winner of the modern era.
One to Watch – Mornington
A homebred for Seymour Bloodstock with an intriguing pedigree opened her account with a stylish win at Mornington on Tuesday.
Southern Highlands Thoroughbred Week is Out of the Gate!
Celebrating 140 years of racing and thoroughbred culture, Southern Highlands Thoroughbred Week presented by GROW Southern Highlands will span three weekends, from 19th November to 6th December.
Haras d'Etreham Set Fee for Hotazhell
Triple Group I winner Hotazhell will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham in France at a fee of €15,000 next year before then shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia.
Frankel Heads Juddmonte Euro Roster at £350,000
Fresh from siring outstanding young stayer Point of Law (GB) to win the $10m Group I VRC Melbourne Cup, champion sire Frankel will again top the roster at Banstead Manor Stud for Juddmonte.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 10
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.