News - FASTNET ROCK (AUS)
The rescheduled Rosehill meeting from last Saturday got underway at Newcastle this afternoon with three year-old Fastnet Rock gelding O’President returning to his best form to win the Benchmark 88 event over 1400m, putting the spotlight on his full brother to be offered at Inglis Easter.
Underrated galloper Gino Severini (IRE) provided a fitting tribute to his part-owner, the late Ray Wallace, when he produced a fighting performance to take out the Group II Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday.
Strong demand for quality lots concluded Day Two of Book 1 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 96th National Yearling Sales Series.
Te Akau principal David Ellis has bought plenty of quality fillies at Karaka over the years, so it was a bold statement when he labelled lot 410, the Fastnet Rock full-sister to Group One winner Unforgotten, as the best filly he has seen at New Zealand Bloodstock’s sales venue in a decade.
Godolphin don’t buy many yearlings at the sales, but a Fastnet Rock filly they snapped up from the Cressfield draft at Magic Millions in 2020 for $600,000 gave them a big result when winning the Group III MVRC Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
The Group I ATC Surround Stakes will be run at Randwick this Saturday and the winner of that race in 2018 was top class filly Shoals, whose full sister cast off maiden status with an impressive win at Kilmore on Thursday.
Placed in the Group I ATC Golden Rose and Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes during the spring, Fastnet Rock gelding Coastwatch launched his autumn campaign with a first up victory in the Group II MRC Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
There were only two yearlings by champion sire to be offered at Inglis Classic and both fillies came up on the final day of trade with Ciaron Maher Bloodstock securing the well bred pair.
Popular Fastnet Rock gelding Eleven Eleven continued his love affair with the Gold Coast on Saturday, prevailing in one of the closest finishes in Magic Millions history to land the $1 million Magic Millions Cup (1400m).
It was third time lucky for this talented daughter of Fastnet Rock when she finally got everything right to win in a breeze at the Newcastle meeting on the Beaumont track on Monday.
One of the stable stars for champion trainer Chris Waller is Torryburn Stud bred and sold colt Home Affairs, but he might have another Torryburn graduate poised to make his mark in the autumn with this debut winner at Sandown on Wednesday catching the eye of good judges.
The Gimcrack Stakes heroine Coolangatta dominates betting for the Group III Magic Millions BJ McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Boxing Day. Still, she is just one of three runners striving to keep their unbeaten record intact.
Matamata trainer Jamie Richards is keen to plunder some more Australian prizemoney before he ventures to Hong Kong in April or May next year.
Ever consistent sprinter Packing Rockstar displayed all his fighting qualities when he downed a high-quality field of sprinters in the Group III J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.
Here is the full list of 64 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia on Friday with winners and result details.
The Tattersalls December Mares Sale got off to a strong start on the opening day with CRIMSON ROCK topping proceedings at 450,000 guineas, narrowly ahead of a pair of regally bred Juddmonte mares. The average and median both registered significant increases, whilst the turnover rose 24% to 15,289,200 guineas.
Worth $300,000, the inaugural The Warra (1000m) sprint at Kembla on Saturday was won with a brilliant late dash by quality Fastnet Rock speedster Eleven Eleven, who looks ready for another tilt at the big Magic Millions race day in January.
A $600,000 Magic Millions purchase for David Ellis / Andrew Williams Bloodstock from the Coolmore draft, speedy filly Bright Blue Sky lived up to the hype when she made a winning debut in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa in New Zealand on Saturday.
A two year-old Fastnet Rock filly being compared to the mighty Avantage is being tipped to make a winning debut in New Zealand on Saturday.
Champion sire Fastnet Rock posted an interesting stakes-winner overnight with his progressive three year-old staying colt Atzeco winning the Group III St Leger Italiano (1m7f) at Campanelle providing a pedigree update for his family members here in Australia.