The Myracehorse syndicates bring new owners into racing and fresh from a big win at Ballarat on Tuesday with Volkano, the familiar colours were back in the winner’s circle at Canterbury with the Bjorn Baker trained two year-old Sapphire Rose.
The daughter of Blue Point (IRE) won on debut at Wyong last month and was then second at Randwick so had race fitness and experience on her side when tackling the 1200m contest.
Not that happy on the heavy 8 ground, she never looked the winner until late in the piece when she put her best foot forward for Ash Morgan to win by three-quarters of a length over Divo and Issy’s Star, who were both last start winners.
“She's very tough, although I feel she struggles in these wet tracks and it's not riding that bad here today, but I do think she's a real top-of-the-ground horse,” said Ash Morgan.
“From the 600 onwards, I was just on and off the chain. I could feel she was coming up underneath me and struggling on the ground a bit, but she's very tough.
“I think next time in she’s a filly that could be a 1400m on top of the ground, but she's two from three this prep, so she's doing really well.”
Stable representative Glen Lobb was thrilled to see so many happy owners at the track for Sapphire Rose.
“I think it were just as many at Wyong when she won first up,” Lobb said.
“It all fell into place good for her. We were thinking she could cross the inside runners, with a little bit of speed out wide. And stepping out to the 1,200, she has that little bit of a dash, but it didn't look like she was going to win at the 200, but she just keeps grinding away and was actually coming away on the line, so she’s a very nice filly and she's just going to keep going forward.”
A $200,000 Magic Millions purchase from Bhima Thoroughbreds as agent for Dorrington Farm by MyRacehorse Pty Ltd/Bjorn Baker Racing/Belmont Bloodstock Agency /Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd , Sapphire Rose has two wins and a second from three starts and has already banked nearly $60,000 in prizemoney.
Sapphire Rose is the third winner from three foals to race from Group III winner Rocket Commander, who was on-sold in 2024 for just $4,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale and was covered last year by General Beau.
A full sister to Sapphire Rose was offered at Inglis Premier this year and made just $15,000 when bought by Finniss Lodge.
Sapphire Rose is one of 44 winners this season for Darley shuttler Blue Point, who is not returning this year.
Footnote: Myracehorse made it a winning double at Canterbury with four year-old Contributer (IRE) gelding Centenario charging home late to win over 1550m for the Waterhouse Bott stable.
