The Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale last year has produced some promising types and right up with the best is exciting Justify (USA) gelding Verdad, who heads to the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas this Saturday following a gallant second in the Group II MVRC Stutt Stakes at his second start.
Trained by the Griffiths De Kock partnership, Verdad bolted in on debut at Bendigo last month before his Stutt Stakes performance and his trainers are keen to test him further against the elite.
“He’s only had two starts. It’s a bit hard to get a gauge of his ability. We think a lot of him; it's hard to quantify the rate of improvement in him. We’ll know after the Guineas whether he’s the real deal,” Griffiths told Racing.com.
“He stepped up from the trials to the races and then up to the Bill Stutt Stakes. He’s only a two-start horse, so I think he’s got scope for improvement, and he needs to step up again.
“We don’t know whether the Melbourne form will stack up against Militarize, but Griff (winner of the Stutt) is our yardstick and is high up in the betting, so, on that basis, we should be there.”
A $65,000 Inglis Premier purchase from Merricks Station for Tim Nolen, he was re-offered in the Nolen Racing draft at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale last year where his trainers and Peter Ford Thoroughbreds picked him up for $150,000 after he breezed in 10.65 seconds.
His sire Justify has had hit a serious purple patch producing four Group I winners in the Northern Hemisphere this year including four Group winning juveniles in the past week, two of them Group I winners in Opera Singer (France, turf) and Just FYI (USA, dirt).
Running at just over 10% SW to runner, Justify is a serious sire of serious horses so his entries for this year’s Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale tomorrow at Riverside Stables are sure to command interest and are listed below.
Lot 35 Colt Justify (USA) x Boadicea Belle, by Smart Missile - Blake Ryan Racing
Second foal of a winning half-sister to Group II winner Miss Marielle, the dam of Group I winner Peeping.
Lot 52 Colt Justify (USA) x Chillaxing, by High Chaparral (IRE) – Leanach Lodge
First foal of a placed three-quarter sister to Group II winner Peltzer.
Lot 152 Colt Justify (USA) x Montana Flight, by Flying Spur – Nolen Racing
Third foal of multiple Group winner Montana Flyer.
Lot 222 Filly Justify (USA) x Tingu (Fr), by Intello – Valiant Stud
Second foal of a winning half-sister to stakes-winner Pisanello from the family of Group I winners The United States, Hydrangea and Hermosa. Has pedigree and physique that scream classic three year-old filly!
