With the penny dropping, lightly raced Harry Angel colt Angel Capital will get another crack at a Group One Guineas after resuming with victory in the Group II Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Angel Capital started one of the favourites in the Group I Caulfield Guineas in the spring off the back of victory in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (G3) however was beaten into sixth behind Private Life.
Having his first run since, the three-year-old settled near the back under Ben Melham before unleashing an impressive burst to reel the leaders in and at the finish beat Plymouth (The Autumn Sun) by 1.5 lengths with Evaporate (Per Incanto) third.
The win takes his record to four wins from 7 starts with earnings of $600,750.
"He's a horse that can get a bit aggressive, so it was good to see him find a spot and travel pretty good for him,” said Melham.
"I was hoping they'd go a bit quicker, but he did a good job to pick himself up from that position and reel them in the way he did."
“This time in, after his gallops and after his trials his recovery's been really good, whereas last time in he was always a little bit suspect,” said trainer Clinton McDonald after the race.
"I just think that was maturity and the way that he behaved today, as I said before the race, he's just starting to mature mentally and learn what this game's about.
"I thought that was a race that showed that the penny's starting to drop with him.
"He'll go straight to the Guineas I'd say and then if he ran well there we'd go to the All-Star Mile then we'd pull up stumps and get him ready for the spring.”
Angel Capital was a $400,000 purchase for Gregory Ho and Upper Bloodstock from the Mill Park Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Bred by David Peacock, Angel Capital is the third stakes-winner for the Teofilo mare Bahamas after the three-time stakes winner Berkeley Square and the Group III ATC Frank Packer Plate winner Senor Toba, who was runner-up in the Group 1 Queensland Derby and third in the Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin.
Bahamas was runner-up in the Group III South Australian Fillies Classic and was third in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks.
The daughter of Teofilo has a 2-year-old colt by Blue Point (IRE), a $300,000 buy for Lucky Owners from the Mill Park draft at the Inglis Easter Australian Yearling Sale last year but is yet to be named
She foaled a colt by Blue Point last year and was covered by Harry Angel.
