Never further back than fourth in his five starts, the 3-year-old Vancouver gelding Vanquished chose the right spot to open his winning account in the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden Plate (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
Ridden by Tim Clark for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Vanquished carried the silks of the days major sponsor, Aquis Farm, to a two and three-quarter length win over the $1,500,000 3-year-old Pierro colt Pasima, with a half-length back to the I Am Invincible gelding Surreal I Am in third.
“I always thought he would excel getting out to this sort of trip,” Adrian Bott said.
“We put it off for a while when he wasn’t able to pick up a maiden early in the campaign.
“We saw this race early on the radar so keeping a few trips short of his best, we thought if he was able to pick up a maiden on the way through, all well and good, but it was getting out to this sort of trip here where he was really going to excel.
“We thought we’d hopefully see the improvement in him.
“He’s going to keep improving on this. He’ll get a mile easily and stretch him out to 2000-metres. There’s certainly a fair bit of upside and that he was sticking on well, and those city maidens and super maidens in Sydney, he was performing quite well.
“When Tim is on song, he’s great. That is why we have such a great relationship. We don’t have to discuss tactics too much. We just come out here and we’re very much on a similar page.”
A $450,000 purchase for TFI from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Vanquished is the third winner from as many to race for the Ginat’s Causeway mare Pocket Power (USA).
Though she was born in America, Pocket Power (USA) is a three-quarter sister to the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Delectation (Shamardal) and a half-sister to Gracie’s Lass, the dam of Group 1 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes and Group 1 ATC Canterbury Stakes winner Artorius (Flying Artie).
Pocket Power (USA) has a yearling filly by Flying Artie and was covered by Supido.
There is a smattering of representation from the family at yearling sales in 2024.
Golden Slipper winner Vancouver stands at Woodside Park Stud for $11,000.
