A week after Fierce Impact (JPN) opened his stakes account in the Group III Summer Cup, another former Qatar Racing-owned gelding to sell at the 2017 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale, Naval Warfare (IRL), earned his black-type win in Saturday's Listed Tatts Cup (2400m) on the Kensington track at Randwick and what a win it was.
A small field of questionable quality should not detract too much from the facile victory of the odds-on favourite who was coming off a win at Warwick Farm, which came 11 starts after opening his Australian account at Sandown last April.
Corey Brown had the Chris Waller-trained import lobbing along in third place before mounting a challenge at the 300 metres to stroll home by six and a quarter lengths.
Miss Finland's daughter Earth Angel (Animal Kingdom) was a well-beaten second, four lengths ahead of the old warrior Destiny's Kiss, who unbelievably found trouble in the 5-horse field. (photo Steve Hart)
"A beautiful ride by Corey. I think we all expected him to lead but he took a hold and it was a pretty clever ride," Waller said.
"It's his second prep in Australia. He raced as a colt in the Brisbane Cup in the winter but that's been changed, he a gelding now and happier for it."
A winner at Ayr, Leicester and Newmarket when trained by Andrew Balding, Naval Warfare (IRE) made 160,000 guineas to the bid of champion trainer Chris Waller at Tattersalls.
That was 20,000 guineas more than Matthew Smith needed to secure Deep Impact's Fierce Impact (JPN).
A son of Sea The Stars and Galileo's half-brother Born To Sea (Invincible Spirit), Naval Warfare was purchased for €105,000 as a yearling by David Redvers at the 2015 Goffs Orby Sale.
The 5yo gelding is a half-brother to Gregorian (Clodovil) who won the Group II Hungerford Stakes and was placed in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat, Group 1 Darley July Cup, Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes and Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes.
