There were just five runners in Friday’s Canterbury League Club Maiden, which turned into a very messy race with less than two lengths covering all the runners at the finish, but there was a worthy winner in the Chris Waller-trained Spokesman who became the first winner for Vinery Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Press Statement.
Third behind the high-priced Redoute’s Choice colt Prague when on debut at Canterbury on January 17, Spokesman was caught three and four wide early so Nash Rawiller elected to press on and sit outside of the pacesetting Easy Campese.
Taking control of the race at the top of the straight, Spokesman came under attack from the $2.3 million Fastnet Rock colt Setanta but as soon as he battled to fight that one off, Godolphin’s Exosphere filly Thermosphere was searching for some room close to the rails.
At the finish Spokesman defeated the luckless Thermosphere by a long-neck who with a nose back to Setanta in third ahead of Easy Campese and Bazooka who went to the line untested.
“I only drew barrier five, but I was four wide early. I would have preferred a bit of cover but there wasn’t a lot of speed so I just concentrated in getting him into a lovely rhythm and he got the job done,” Rawiller said.
In a timely advertisement for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Spokesman was purchased by Star Thoroughbreds/ Randwick Bloodstock for $270,000 out of the Fairview Park Stud at last year’s Classic and he will have a half-sister by Your Song on offer this year.
Bred by Mystery Downs, Spokesman is the seventh foal and sixth winner out of the 5-time Sydney winning Mujahid (USA) mare Calaluna whose dam It’s Not On (Tierce) is a half-sister to the Champion 2YO Filly in Australia in 2001-02, Victory Vein (Mr Henrysee) who is the dam of Group III winner Sookie (Casino Prince).
Following the Your Song filly to be consigned by Fairview Park Stud to the upcoming Classic Yearling Sale, Calaluna missed to Press Statement in 2018 before being covered by the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winning son of Hinchinbrook again last spring.
Press Statement covered a career-high 161 mares at Vinery Stud last spring, which is a good indication that his first crop of two-year-olds is highly regarded by many trainers.
