With eight previous attempts to secure his first elite level victory, today was the day as Chris Waller’s much-maligned Angel Capital (Harry Angel) rose to the top and claimed the $1m G1 MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
An unlucky fourth in the same race last year, the 5yo stallion was once again well supported, starting the second favourite behind stablemate, and previous G1 winner Lady Shenandoah.
With Ben Melham in the saddle, the pair jumped away well from the gates, and while he wasn’t getting involved in any of the early hustle and bustle to go forward, the pair settled mid-field position with Shamus Award mare Regal Award taking up the running.
Travelling strongly into the home turn, Regal Award dropped off Evaporate before going for home as Lady Shenandoah started to make her run towards the inside and Melham was getting Angel Capital out into clear running.
In many of his previous runs, this is where luck would evade Angel Capital and he would get strung up behind horses, but clearly Saturday was his day as he gathered in the leaders before Melham went for home.
Winning by three parts of a length from last year’s winner Sepals, Angel Capital took his earnings to $2,902,250 from his six wins (five at black type level) and four placed performances.
Chris Waller’s stable representative Darren Beadman was on course after the victory.
“He’s five years old,” said Beadman. “He’s been unlucky so many times in Group 1’s.”
“Congratulations to Mr Zhang and the whole Yulong team. They are heavily invested here in Australia.
“He’s been deserving of the Group 1 win for so many runs. The way this track panned out today with a good, strong speed up front, Ben (Melham) has the utmost faith in the horse, and he rode him to perfection.”
One of two G1 winners at Caulfield, plus Autumn Glow recorded G2 success at Randwick, it was a great day for the camp.
“It’s been a really fat day with Autumn Glow and Birdman down here. I have to give a lot of thanks to Lizzie and the staff down here.
“It’s a satellite stable, but the amount of effort Lizzie and all her team put into the horses, Stevie Arnold, riding this horse. You only need only little hiccup in this game and it takes you a month, or two months to get back on track. They’ve done a fantastic job.”
“This horse has promised so much but he’s had bad luck in running and this haven’t gone right, but this was just the perfect race, the way the race was set up. They went a strong pace up front. He was able to get him to the outside, go through his gears. It was a lovely ride by Benny.
Having ridden Angel Capital in many of his starts, jockey Ben Melham was super pleased to see the 5yo secure his first G1 win.
“Finally. This horse, we’ve sort of praised his ability from day dot. I just knew today, it's the first time he's been in a suitable race where I just thought everything would go to plan and right conditions.”
“Then we got here this morning, they cut the track in half. Honestly, he needs all the track he can get. Wasn't too happy about that, but we found a race with good speed.
“He got into a good rhythm, and obviously Chris is a master at setting these horses for these races.
“He looked a picture in the yard when I got on him, gave a little pig root going out on the track and then he just rolled to the barriers beautifully in the zone.
“Steven Arnold rides him a lot of work down here and does a great job on him.
“The ability's never been the question with him. He's a very good colt, as you've seen there today, but he's just so big and he's such a brute. He’s not an easy horse to ride, but when things go his way, you've seen what he can do.
“He's always been like it, he just needs to chill out a little bit, which he's come a long way. But he's raced against the best company all the time and he's stiff not to have won a Group One up until now.
“As I said, the ability's there with him. When things go his way, he's a very, very good horse. He deserves it.”
Bred by David Peacock, Angel Capital was offered through the draft of Mill Park Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier yearling sale when knocked down to Gregory Ho and Upper Bloodstock for $400,000 before Yulong stepped in to purchase him after his G2 Autumn Stakes victory.
The first G1 winner out of the G1 placed Teofilo mare Bahamas, Angel Capital joins G2 winner Berkeley Square and the G3-winning, G1 placed winner Senor Toba as stakes winners out of the mare.
Bahamas' current 2yo is a grey Blue Point colt named Disraeli while she foaled a colt by Coolmore's City Of Troy a few weeks back.
“We’ve still got the mare [Bahamas]. She’s a lovely mare, she just foaled down a lovely City Of Troy colt, we’re very pleased with him and this year she’s going back to Harry Angel for the first time since Angel Capital,” stated Peacock.
One of four G1 winners for Darley’s Harry Angel, the Darley Kelvinside-based sire is standing this season at a fee of $88,000 (inc. GST), having initially stood for $22,000 (inc. GST) in 2019.
