Back at Coolmore Australia this spring for his fourth season, 2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark‘s Basilica (Fr) is on the board with his first stakes-winner after Thesecretadversary rolled the favourite to win the Listed Churchill Stakes (7 ½ f) at Tipperary overnight.
Wootton Bassett colt Brussels was favourite for this assignment following a debut win and last start fourth in G2 company, but the Aidan O’Brien trained colt came up short when overpowered by flashy chestnut Thesecretadversary.
Trained by Fozzy Stack and ridden by Seamie Heffernan, Thesecretadversary racked up three successive second placings in his first three starts including when runner-up in the Listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He powered to the line to win by a length and will no doubt take a lot of confidence out of the win.
Fozzy Stack was thrilled to see his colt return a winner and has further stakes plans in the pipeline.
“His run at Ayr (previous start) was a mess-up and while maybe the winner isn’t too bad, they went no gallop and the ground was soft. He had run well in Ascot though and backed that up today,” he said.
“He did it well, so it might be worth taking our chance in those big races now and there’s a Grade 1 [Summer Stakes] race for him in Canada on the same day as the National Stakes (G1), which might be an option."
Bred and raced by Coolmore in partnership with Cayton Park Stud, Thesecretadversary is the first winner from stakes-winning Gleneagles mare Too Soon to Panic, a daughter of Group III winner Scream Blue Murder with his next two dams Holly Blue and Nettle also stakes-winners.
Thesecretadversary is the sixth winner and first stakes-winner for st Mark’s Basilica, who will have his first Australian runners this season.
The champion son of Siyouni stands at a fee of $38,500.
