Resuming from a spell off the back of two very nice trial victories, 3yo Farnan colt Airworthy produced a quality effort to break his maiden at his second start, winning the Vinnie @ Yarraman Park Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury on Friday night.
Not long after Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s progressive 3yo Farnan filly Faraway Dream kept her unbeaten record intact when going two for two with a fighting win at Cranbourne, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Airworthy crossed the field to take up the running after jumping from from barrier eight of nine.
Coming across with him was the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained Onmalone (Menari) who settled in third on the outside of Chris Waller’s race favourite Royal Air Force (Wootton Bassett) who had come along the rail from barrier one.
With Airworthy leading the field into the home straight, jockey Tim Clark had ridden a brilliant race aboard the leader who kicked strongly, and while there were plenty of runs coming from back in the pack, the 3yo colt was superbly rated in front to break his maiden by just over a half-length margin.
Flashing into second with a back me next start written all over her, Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald’s Tinklejazz made up many lengths late with the full sister to Bowness Stud’s stakes-producing sire D’Argento surely set to appreciate further.
Although it was a clumped finish with less than a length separating the first five, the victory of the winner was thoroughly deserved and it would be no surprise to see a few next start winners come out of the race.
Purchased for $333,000 by Highway Farm from the Newgate Farm draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale, the Tony Fung Investments bred colt was initially a $190,000 purchase by Jim Carey from the draft of Waylon J Stud at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Racing in the silks of Yulong, the 3yo colt is the second winner from two foals to race out of the four-time-wining I Am Invincible mare Bella Success, herself a daughter of the Group 2-winning, New Zealand bred mare Bridie Belle.
After foaling Airworthy, Bella Success unfortunately missed to Aclaim (IRE) before slipping to Farnan, and this season has foaled a filly, mid-September from the third crop of Newgate Farm’s Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.
Interestingly throughout her career from a yearling to a broodmare, Bella Success has been sold via the Magic Millions sales ring on six separate occasions, most recently when knocked down to Figtree Thoroughbreds for $110,000 when carrying the Stay Inside filly foaled this season.
Airworthy became the 11th winner this season for Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan who is standing this season at a fee of $77,000 (inc. GST) at Kia Ora Stud.
