If pedigrees alone won races, Global Goal was on the path to G1 glory from the day she was born at Arrowfield Stud.
Beautifully-bred filly Global Goal (Pinatubo) entered rare air at Randwick today, winning a G1 at just her fourth career start when proving too strong in the Flight Stakes.
Global Goal was trained to perfection by John Sargent for today’s assignment over the Randwick mile – she resumed with a ‘flashing light’ 3rd in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes over 1200m in August before again storming home over the 1400m at her final lead-up in the G2 Tea Rose Stakes.
Since debuting with a victory in the Inglis Challenge on Wagga Gold Cup Day in May, owner Jonathan Munz always believed he had another potential G1 horse on his hands and Global Goal proved him right today, becoming the 127th individual Inglis graduate to win a G1 since 2018.
Dean Hawthorne purchased Global Goal (pictured) – on behalf of Munz – at the Easter Yearling Sale for $250,000.
She was offered by Arrowfield, who bred the horse alongside Munz’s GSA Bloodstock.
Arrowfield’s Jon Freyer was anything but surprised by today’s result.
“She’s a really classy filly. It’s great Jonathan bought her at Easter, she was certainly very popular,’’ Freyer said.
“It’s onwards and upwards with her now, she’s still quite raw so it was a great effort.
“The mare [Tides] is an absolutely stunning mare. She’s a sister to Shoals (triple G1 winner) and we thought she was going to really be A-Grade but she had a couple of setbacks and we retired her but it’s no surprise she’s making it as a broodmare.
“Global Goal was a lightly framed horse at Easter but very athletic, a lovely mover and a quality filly and it’s no surprise at all that she can gallop. She’s top class.’’
Winning trainer Sargent added: “She is going to the paddock Monday, she’ll either stay there and have a spell or we could look at the G1 Spring Champion Stakes or the G1 Thousand Guineas. There is not a lot of her and she will be better in the autumn.
“She deserved that win, she was peaking at the right time. [Jockey] Dylan [Gibbons] rode her a treat, it was always going to be tactical but he used his head, got on his bike early and she outstayed them.”
Earlier at Randwick the first 2YO Stakes race of the season in Sydney resulted in a quinella for Inglis graduates when Flying Houdini (Trapeze Artist) defeated Capitano.
Purchased at this year’s Classic Yearling Sale for $60,000 by Redfox Racing from the Widden draft, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Flying Houdini is a fantastic story for his enormous group of owners.
Not only is he a brother to last year’s Listed Inglis Nursery winner Where’s The Circus, Flying Houdini was purchased for the same price, at the same sale and by the same owners as Fully Lit three years earlier.
Fully Lit – an Inglis Pink Bonus horse, just like Flying Houdini - went on to win the $2m Inglis Millennium for Redfox and that’s the race Redfox’s Tracey Rook wants to win again, this time with new star colt Flying Houdini.
“I am so excited. I’m so excited for our owners at Redfox, I just can’t believe it,’’ Rook said.
“He’s a tough colt, he’s shown that all the way through and to win in these conditions in the first 2YO Stakes race of the season here is another level.
“We’ve known for a while we’ve had a ready-to-go 2YO. Every time we’ve asked him to step up, he’s stepped up. He’s tough and he’s done everything we’ve asked.
“From what I’ve seen today, he’s definitely in the running to head to the Inglis Millennium, it’s a $2m race, we’ve won it before, we love the Inglis races so it’s a perfect race to target for now.’’
Flying Houdini is bred by Bert Vieira.
And exciting colt Wonka (Snitzel) could be given his chance at G1 glory later this month following his tenacious victory in today’s Listed Dulcify Stakes at Randwick.
Trainer Chris Waller was originally planning on setting the 3YO for the G3 Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day but following today’s win, admitted he might now need to switch course and give Wonka a chance in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes back at Randwick a week earlier on October 24.
“When you have a Group 1 in your own backyard, you have to look at it with an in-form horse,’’ Waller said.
“It’s a bit of a jump going to 2000m for such a lightly raced horse but he’s going the right way.’’
Wonka – a $360,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Waller and Guy Mulcaster – led in an Inglis graduates quinella today, defeating Genesis Runner.
Arrowfield Stud and Jungle Pocket co-bred Wonka, who won a $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus maiden at his prior start to today.
Meanwhile at Flemington Skybird (Exosphere) set herself up for a crack at the G1 Champions Sprint on the final day of Melbourne Cup Week with an impressive victory in the G2 Gilgai Stakes today.
It was a sixth career win for Skybird and took her earnings to almost $1.8m.
Trainer Mitch Freedman bought Skybird for $110,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, where she was offered by her breeder HP Thoroughbreds.
“She sprinted quickly, there were a few nervous moments but she got the breaks and won well,’’ Freedman said.
“We’d love to see her back here for the Champions Sprint, that’s the race for her and hopefully the heavens open up that day like they did last year.
“She’s in great form and we’ve been thrilled by the way she’s going.’’
In South Australia the 8YO St Lawrence (Redwood) made it back-to-back victories, claiming the Listed Murray Bridge Gold Cup.
Paul Lofitis of the Lofty Thoroughbred Group bought St Lawrence for $85,000 in last year’s Inglis Digital February (Late) Online Sale.
The Gavin Bedggood-trained St Lawrence has since won $268,000.
And in Western Australia tonight Inglis graduates ran the quinella in the Listed Kalgoorlie Cup when Royal Law (Pierro) defeated Sowar.
Royal Law is a $12,000 Inglis Digital purchase for his trainer Ashley Maley and the 6YO has won almost $400,000 in prizemoney since.
