News - FASTNET ROCK (AUS)

At this time of year we find a lot of promising three year-olds are popping up at provincial meetings as they seek to put runs on the board to earn a crack at spring Black Type and two such winners by champion sires Fastnet Rock and Snitzel caught our eye at Newcastle on Thursday.

Not a great deal of guesswork in this week's Best On Breeding, a million colt out of a million mare, who romped home by seven lengths at his most recent start.

Godolphin returned to the yearling sales as significant purchasers in 2018 and gained a big result when one of those purchases Exhilarates won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic earlier this year and it was another filly they bought at auction that won them the first race of the last metropolitan meeting of the season in Sydney at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Beaten into second place when making his career debut at over 1500 metres at Hawkesbury on July 4, the 3yo Fastnet Rock gelding Dambulla made no mistake at his second try with a dominant performance over 1600 metres at Gosford on Thursday.

When a $1million Fastnet Rock colt comes out and wins by seven lengths, he’s an obvious choice as the ‘One to Watch’ on Tuesday.

With stakes wins on both sides of the Tasman, imported European mare Igraine has earned herself a special place in Brent and Cherry Taylor’s broodmare band and hearts.

Three year-old Fastnet Rock filly Tides may never be as good as her multiple Group I winning sister Shoals, but she is ending the season with a flourish after scoring an easy win at Sandown on Wednesday.

It was an exciting 35 minutes for Segenhoe Stud at Warwick Farm on Wednesday with both two-year-old winners Disruptor (Dissident) and California Salto (Fastnet Rock) consigned by the leading thoroughbred nursery.

Fastnet Rock’s rising star Prince Fawaz brought an end to the unbeaten run of the thoroughly game Kubrick in Saturday’s Group 1 Magic Millions JJ Atkins Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm, which set off wild celebrations from the winner’s 19 owners while trainer Anthony Cummings was left to cheer on from Randwick.

Anthony Cummings is never afraid to think big with a talented horse which is why this lightly raced son of champion sire Fastnet Rock is now favourite for the Group I BRC JJ Atkins Plate (1600m) on June 8 at Eagle Farm.

The powerful Chris Waller stable produced a lovely two year-old winner for champion sire Fastnet Rock on Wednesday at Canterbury with Maddi Rocks cruising clear for an impressive win.

Champion sire Fastnet Rock posted a trans-Tasman stakes-double on Saturday with Irish bred gelding Fastnet Tempest  winning the Group III SAJC Robert A Lee Stakes at Morphettville, while in New Zealand Hinerangi  claimed her first Black Type win in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup at Awapuni.

It wasn’t hard to find a ‘One to Watch’ on Tuesday with the full sister to recently retired multiple Group I winner Shoals opening her account at Bendigo on Tuesday.

Coolmore have released fees on their 2019 roster headed by champion sire Fastnet Rock and Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (USA), Pierro and newcomer Justify (USA).

Right there with the best two year-old fillies this season, blue-blooded Fastnet Rock filly Anaheed was a deserving winner of the $1million Group II ATC Percy Sykes Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

The top end of the market has kept charging along at Inglis Easter with the second $2 million lot of the session, bringing it to five million dollar lots after a little over three hours of selling.

A $250,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Katsumi Yoshida from the Kia Ora Stud draft in 2016, Fastnet Rock stallion Fiano Romano scored his first Black type win in Japan when taking out the Group III Lord Derby Challenge Trophy at Nakayama.

The Champion 2YO in New Zealand last season, exciting Fastnet Rock filly Avantage made a winning Australian debut on Golden Slipper day when taking out the Group III ATC Birthday Card Quality at Rosehill.

This mare has already left four stakes winners, including a Group One winner, and on Wednesday her ninth foal to race became her ninth winner on debut and was highly impressive with it.

Exciting three-year-old filly Avantage is on the brink of a race day return after winning her 1000m trial heat at Avondale on Tuesday.