At the start of August we ran a story about the 3YO’s that were entered for this year Cox Plate and aside from the usual suspects there were some ‘Cox Plate’ dreamers and one of them was unraced Lonhro colt Attica, who scored his first stakes win at Randwick on Saturday when taking out the Listed ATC Dulcify Stakes (1600m).
A homebred for Godolphin that had five barrier trials for James Cummings, but ended his juvenile season unraced, Attica is now with Joe Pride, who produced the colt for a debut win at Warwick Farm last month over 1400m and then a second at Kembla over 1500m.
Stepped up in class and distance to 1600m with regular rider Adam Hyeronimus in the saddle, Attica was fitted with blinkers and it proved a master stroke.
He powered to the line over the final furlong to run past Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Ruination winning by more two lengths.
Joe Pride is looking towards possibly the Group I ATC Spring Champion stakes (2000m) in three weeks time or the $1million Callender Presnell (1600m) on the same card.
Attica is the first foal of multiple Group winner Savatiano, who won over $2.3million with a long list of highlight wins including the Wyong Mona Lisa Stakes which will be run this Friday. For those who remember the Street Cry (IRE) mare well, they will also recall she did win the 2021 Group I ATC Canterbury Stakes beating Mizzy, but then lost the race due to a positive swab so went to stud without her deserved G1 win on the resume.
Savatiano has a 2YO colt to follow by Palace Pier (GB) called Sabates and a yearling colt by I Am Invincible, but no foal this spring after missing to Extreme Choice.
Attica is the 98th stakes-winner for the late champion sire Lonhro.
