Winless in six starts since stringing four on the bounce last winter, Fawkner Park (IRL) gave his opponents a start and a beating in Friday’s $200,000 Listed Commercial Club Albury - Albury Gold Cup (2000m).
Settled near the tail of the field by Tyler Schiller, the Annabel Neasham-trained son of Zoffany (IRE) came with a barnstorming finish to defeat his stablemate Red Lion (Jakkalberry) by three and a quarter lengths with Danish Fortune (Magnus) back in third.
A €46,000 Goffs Orby purchase for Joseph O’Brien, Fawkner Park (IRL) made three starts in Ireland, the last of which was a six and a half length win over the Galileo x Atlantic Jewel colt Fleet Commander in a 10-furlong maiden win at Dundalk.
Consigned to the 2022 Autumn Horses In Training Sale, where Blandford Bloodstock / Bennett / Annabel Neasham Racing had the final say at 120,000gns.
The Bennett Racing colour-bearer made that look money well spent with his first four starts in his adopted homeland resulting in wins at Kembla Grange, Doomben, and two at Rosehill.
With his stakes breakthrough, Fawkner Park (IRL) advances his record to six wins a second and third from 14 starts with earnings of $388,002.
Fawkner Park (IRL) is a half-brother to Saracen Knight (IRE) (Camelot), who enjoyed success in Australia in the Group II Herbert Power Stakes and Listed RM Ansett Classic.
His dam Za'Hara (Raven’s Pass) is a half-sister to Gr1 Arlington Million Stakes winner Debussy (Diesis), Group III Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner Laugh Aloud (Dubawi), and the stakes-placegetters Celtic Prince (Shamardal), Cantilena (Dubawi), and Entertainment (Halling).
Fawkner Park is the 67th black-type winner for the former Coolmore shuttler Zoffany (IRE), The son of Dansili shuttled for four seasons, the last in 2015 in which he left 142 live foals, nearly the total produced in his first three seasons.
