News - FARNAN (AUS)
The $400,000 Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday offered up a mouthwatering selection of some of the most desirable three year-old colts in the country, but the victor was a gelding that has more owners than all the other runners put together.
Three heats won by unraced juveniles at the Warwick Farm trials on Tuesday morning were by some pretty interesting stallions in Home Affairs, Farnan and yes, Gun Runner!
Golden Slipper winning sire Farnan has not been short of winners of late and produced his 20th Aussie winner of the season at Warwick Farm on Australia Day with the Waterhouse Bott stable producing a blue blood filly to win on debut.
Guy Lowry is no stranger to longshot success at the highest level and he went agonisingly close to another major upset at the weekend.
Three heats won by juveniles at Randwick on Thursday morning and two of those winners were unraced fillies by Home Affairs and Farnan with a half-sister to the latter being sold at Magic Millions on Tuesday and might just be a saleyard gift!
Golden Slipper winning sire Farnan has come to the Magic Millions Carnival in red hot form with exciting 2YO Knightsbridge winning at Randwick on Saturday and then at Eagle Farm his 3YO gelding Ninja obliterated the opposition when strolling home along in the Group III BRC Vo Rogue Plate (1300m).
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable have strengthened their hand for the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with expensive Farnan colt Knightsbridge putting himself into the picture following an impressive win at Randwick on Saturday.
A debut winner for Farnan has an interesting background, bred in Queensland and sold as a weanling before becoming a pinhook winner at the Adelaide Magic Millions and now being trained at Newcastle where he won today.
Resuming from a spell off the back of two very nice trial victories, 3yo Farnan colt Airworthy produced a quality effort to break his maiden at his second start, winning the Vinnie @ Yarraman Park Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury on Friday night.
Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie trained their 200th winner in the blue and white hooped colours of owner-breeder Sir Peter Vela when talented filly Passiflora led all the way in Saturday’s Happy Hire 3YO (1200m) at Wanganui.
A five length debut winner for Farnan was always going to be an easy choice as One to Watch on Thursday at Ballarat.
Passiflora will provide her connections with a sound guide at Tauranga as to where she sits in the three-year-old pecking order.
The Mulberry Racing colours were in the frame at Hawkesbury on Tuesday when the Brad Widdup trained Farnan filly Blue Eyed Brigid bolted in as a short priced favourite.
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
We know spring is really here when the official Sydney 2YO barrier trials arrive and at Randwick next Monday on the Kensington track we will see nine heats over 850m starting at 9am, read on to see full Sale Mail for all heats.
Three-year-old filly Passiflora showed promise at the trials and transferred that potential into raceday success when scoring on debut in the NZ Horse Ambulance 970 at Cambridge on Wednesday.
Highlighted as a Breednet One To Watch off the back of his impressive debut win, the Michael Freedman trained 3yo Farnan gelding Ninja continued his winning form, heading to the city on Saturday to record consecutive race victories.
Last seen contesting the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes, newly gelded three year-old Olatunde bolted in at Ballarat on Monday continuing the fast start to the new season for his sire Farnan.
Farnan sired 14 first crop winners last season to be leading first season sire by winners and his first two runners on Friday both came out and won at Kembla giving him the perfect start to a new racing year.