Brazen Beau’s speedy son Taunting led at every call in Saturday’s Procon Developments Apache Cat Classic (1000m) at Cranbourne.
Ridden by Teodore Nugent for Micheal Hickmott, Taunting took his record at the distance to four wins and three seconds from nine starts in defeating the Zoustar gelding Midwest by two lengths with the 5-year-old Snitzel entire Generation, a short-half-head back in third.
A $230,000 purchase by Michael Hickmott Bloodstock from the Flinders Park Stud draft at the 2020 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Taunting advances his record to seven wins, three seconds, and a third from 18 starts with earnings of $384,260.
“He got his own way in front. I thought Midwest was going to cross us, but Teo took the race by the horns, which was fantastic,” Hickmott said.
“It’s great to have Teo on today. I got him across to South Australia for his first-ever city winner on a horse called Cannot Be Serious, and he’s now winning an Apache Cat for us and two of my biggest supporters, Darren Thomas and Mark Pilkington, along with Tommy Heppinstall. It’s wonderful to have a winner in these colours for that ownership group and fantastic to do it on such a great day here at Cranbourne.
“I said to Teo that Jess (Eaton) has such a great knowledge of the horse, and she emphasised from over in Japan not to touch his mouth. Just to let him roll, and he’s done that. I’m really thrilled to have Teo on in Jess’s absence. He does a lot for my brother, and he’s a great lad - I’m bloody thrilled.”
Teo Nugent said it’s great to be back riding winners after an extended period on the sidelines through injury.
“I had seven months out on the sidelines, and the racing channel was always on,” he said.
“It’s a funny game. You work day in, day out, and you can be riding 14 days straight, some weeks, and you’re busting for a day off, but when you are on the sidelines, all you want to do is get back there. It’s great to be back in action, and it’s great to reward the team.”
Bred by Bridsan Bloodstock, the son of Brazen Beau is the second winner from as many to race out of the 3-time winning Northern Meteor mare Probationary, who was purchased by Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA) for $18,000 out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
Probationary’s dam Red Beret (Red Ransom) is a three-quarter sister to the dam of the dual Listed winner Cape Kidnappers (Commands) and a half-sister to the crack American performer Marlin (Sword Dance), a 4-time Grade 1 winner.
Michael Hickmott trains Taunting’s unraced 3-year-old half-sister Stolen, an $80,000 purchase at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
MJ Williams Training and Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA), purchased Probationary’s Russian Revolution colt for $100,000 from the Flinders Park Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. He has been named Supervise.
Probationary has a yearling brother to Taunting.
