Having become just the second Australian winner for his sire Palace Pier (GB) when breaking his maiden recently, the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained Southend now holds the honour of becoming the first stakes winner for his sire, remaining unbeaten by winning the $250,000 G3 ATC Baillieu (1400m) at Rosehill.
Settling in a mid-field position after a good get away from barrier 5 in the 13 horse field, the Dylan Gibbons ridden Southend was content to race a little wide with nice pace being put on by leader Anthropoid (Prague).
Gibbons decided to get going before the home turn, coming even wider into the straight as Godolphin’s Hardanger went up along the inside to challenge the leader.
Pulling away with the race favourite Persian Wonder who was on his inside at the 200m mark, it was clear Southend was travelling better as the colt went clear to win the race by a little over a length from David Payne’s Persian Wonder.
Working home well for third in a run that would suggest further is wanted, the John Thompson trained Nomadic, a King's Legacy half-brother to recent G1 Randwick Guineas winner Sheza Alibi, looks one who could be followed.
With the last two winners of the Baillieu, Nepotism and Linebacker going on to record G1 success after their Baillieu victories, it will be interesting to see how far the Palace Pier colt can progress with it likely he will now head to the G1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) if he pulls up well.
Co-trainer Gerlad Ryan was quite open on his high opinion of the colt after his debut win, and those thoughts were still just as strong.
“Very good horse I think, we’ve had a good opinion of him all the way along,” said Ryan. “We loved him at the sales, we sat back for four days and bought him on the Friday night. I think he’s a really good horse.”
As for where he may head next, it will all depend on how he pulls up.
“That’s always been the plan. To go to Newcastle, here today, and if it looks as though he’s had enough we’ll stop him. If not, he’ll go the Champagne in three weeks.”
With his sire Palace Pier being a multiple Champion Miler, recording ive G1 victories over 1600m, Ryan felt the mile would be Southend’s best trip.
“I don’t think this horse will run a staying journey even though it looks as if he could. I reckon he’s more of a 1600 metre horse as a three-year-old. I think he’s a nice horse.”
Having ridden him in both his win, Dylan Gibbons was also full of praise for the unbeaten colt.
“The thing I love most is that last furlong, he was just looking for some challengers,” said Gibbons. “God help him when he learns what his job is, he’s doing it all on raw ability.”
“He’s got the most beautiful attitude for a colt, he just only does what you ask him. You can see late in the piece he’s pricked his ears and had a good look around.
“He’s a pretty boy, I wish I looked as good as him. Anyway, at least he’s got the ability.”
“I’m sure he’ll eat up and bounce out of the run well and have a crack at the big one (Champagne). If he can take any natural improvement again, it’s scary to see where he can get to.”
Purchased from the draft of Mill Park Stud for $425,000 at the Magic Millions yearling sale by her trainers, the Defiant Thoroughbred Breeding Trust, Pat Hodby and Charlie Parletta-bred Southend is one of two stakes performers from just three Australian runners from the lone local crop of Darley’s Kingman stallion Palace Pier.
The second winner out of So You Think’s Listed winner So You Are, herself a three-quarter-sister to Twin Hills’ G2 Peltzer, who was also a Mill Park graduate trained by Ryan and Alexiou, it is also the family of the Australian-bred, South African raced G3 winner Crown Towers (Camelot), who the farm had also sold as a yearling.
So We Are’s current yearling, a colt by Newgate Farm’s Russian Revolution sold for $85,000 to South Australian trainer Mick Huxtable at the recent Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, while the mare foaled a filly by Maurice (Jpn) back in October before being covered by Harry Angel (IRE).
The second highest priced yearling to sell in Australia by his sire, Southend joined the Anthony and Sam Freedman trained Wolf Gap who was a last start third in the G2 Todman Stakes, and while he was scratched from today’s Baillieu, he holds a nomination for next Saturday’s G1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
