The Anthony Cummings-trained El Castello ran out a strong winner of the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday under a confident Josh Parr ride.
El Castello worked forward under Parr, who pushed the button mid-stretch and had enough in reserve to stave off the challenge of Henlein by a neck with Firm Agreement 1-1/2 lengths away third.
Runner-up to Broadsiding in the Listed Fernhill Handicap (1600m) during the autumn, El Castello has been a revelation this spring.
Bred by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s Cambridge Stud, the son of Castelvecchio has made swift progress stepping from a maiden win to go undefeated in four starts, including a previous victory in the Gr.3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m).
The promising stayer is on target to back-up in next week’s Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m).
“He's just a very good horse,” Cumming said.
“The preparation went perfectly, everything worked out. He turned up the best horse today and I still think he improves again.
“It's a dumb thing to say, I know, but if I had to pick fault today he's maybe half a run short, but today's race into next week, he'll be fine.
“The preparation was set up so that today's race would give him the step to go to the Derby. Looks like that will happen."
By Arrowfield Stud stallion Castelvecchio, El Castello is the first Group One winner for his sire.
Out of the Fastnet Rock mare Word Games, it is a family that Cummings knows well, having trained the mare’s dual Group One winning half-brother Fiveandahalfstar.
Word Games was bought off the track for $120,000 by Brae Sokolski in 2018, and on-sold privately – in-foal to Lonhro – to Cambridge Stud’s new owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay a year later. After missing to Pierro that year, Word Games went to Castelvecchio in his first season of 2020.
Word Games has a yearling filly by in-form Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor and has foaled another filly foal by Almanzor this spring, before visiting the stud’s exciting new sire Chaldean, a Group One winning son of Frankel.
“We like Castelvecchio, we sent two or three mares to him that year,” Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said.
“it's that line that we really wanted that Dundeel and High Chaparral line and Castevecchio was a Group One winner and a very good looking horse.
“Scott (Calder) and Cameron (Ring) do our matings and they thought it would be a good mating for the mare.
“We bought her privately through Jim Clarke who negotiated a deal with Matt Scown from Yarraman Park and it is an old Anthony Cummings family. He has trained a number of the members of that family, most notably Fiveandahalfstar.
“He was a good looking horse and he made $220,000 as a yearling at the Magic Millions Sale.
“We were very happy with that, just to get the mare off the ground, she’s a young mare and we didn’t have a high reserve.
“It’s a wonderful result for Anthony, it’s a wonderful result for Castelvecchio and it’s a fantastic result for Cambridge Stud.”
The famed Cambridge nursery has now enjoyed a stellar October, headed by fellow Cambridge Stud bred Ceolwulf, who landed the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) before winning the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) a fortnight later.
In addition the Lindsay colours have been to the fore in recent times through elite-level mares Snazzytavi and Joliestar.
Plumptre said it was a privilege to work for the Lindsays who he described as fearless investors but he also deflected much of the credit to the Cambridge Stud team.
“The team that we have got at Cambridge Stud, headed by Scott and Cameron, and the people who have helped us along the way like John Foote, they’re a great group,” Plumptre said.
“You build a team of mares like that with a group of people, you don’t build it with one person, and they have all had good ideas at different times.
“You have got to have people with vision and people like Brendan and Jo who are excited by what is happening next.” – NZ Racing Desk
