The Autumn Sun has had a flurry of promising maiden winners since the start of the year and added another to the tally at Newcastle on Tuesday and this impressive debut winner has a full sister to be offered at Inglis Classic.
Trained by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, three year-old gelding Know Thyself was a short priced favourite for the 1200m maiden having won two of three previous trials and ran right up to expectation when powering clear for an easy two length win.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing as Know Thyself was completely blocked for a run and Aaron Bullock was forced to wait behind the leaders until one drifted off the fence just enough for him to squeeze through. When he saw daylight it was all over and the turn of foot he showed will undoubtedly take him a lot further than a maiden win.
Aaron Bullock was full of praise labelling him a serious horse!
A $300,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Andrew Williams Bloodstock from the Arrowfield draft, Know Thyself runs for the Ladbrokes Racing Club in partnership with Arrowfield and is the second winner from blueblood import Mantra of Life (USA), but is her first in Australia.
Bred by Darley and sourced from the Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 140,000 guineas, Mantra of Life is an unraced half-sister by Dubawi to stakes-winner Peace Camp from Group III winner Loving Kindness, whose dam is Champion French 2YO Filly Coup de Genie. The family quite literally bristles with Group I winners such as Bago, Denebola, Senga, Emollient and Maxios.
Arrowfield Stud will offer the full sister to Know Thyself at Inglis Classic as Lot 458, while the two year-old filly by Written Tycoon from Mantra of Life was sold at Inglis Premier last year for $370,000 to Yulong. Named Mind Shift, she made her debut for Anthony and Sam Freedman in the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview finishing an encouraging fifth to Hayasugi.
Mantra of Life had a colt by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) last spring and is now in foal to Maurice (Jpn).
