BEL ESPRIT FILLY RUNS OFF WITH G2

What a heart stopper in the Group Two Edward Manifold yesterday!

Se Sauver has gone forward in leaps and bounds with Matt Laurie and fortunately the last bound was enough to get the decision at Flemington.

She only won her maiden at Pakenham less than a month ago and you can totally forget her run at Caulfield a fortnight ago when her race was over even before she’d jumped.

The stable is now targeting the Group One Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on 13 October and perhaps the Crown Oaks on 7 November. Imagine a Bel Esprit Group One winner over 2500m!

Se Sauver is Bel Esprit’s 17^th stakes winner overall and just as importantly, Victoria’s Champion Sire posted four winners for the day … it now has him in clear third on the national winners’ chart – and well poised to retain the title.

TOP FIRST UP BID BY LIBERTY FILLY

It was around this time last year that we made mention on our news page of an unraced 2YO – from Statue of Liberty’s ‘return’ crop – that had been named Cocklebiddy.

And, as faithful reader Tony Fiume pointed out, Cocklebiddy is a roadhouse community on the Nullabor Plains: “a necessary petrol stop in 1962 … Southern Cross, Balladonia Station then Cocklebiddy on the way back. Oh joy: 1100 miles of unmade road!”

Well, Cocklebiddy has finally made an appearance, stepping out over 1210m at Sale on Wednesday and, according to ANZ Bloodstock News, performed admirably: “The Greg Eurell-trained 3YO filly Cocklebiddy scored a good win on debut, beating older rivals. She was eased from her wide barrier (13) and settled near last, wide with cover. She improved to about eighth and still wide nearing the 600m point, put in a good run to challenge at the 200m and then drew clear to win comfortably by just over a length. She looks the makings of a good class filly”.

Cocklebiddy is out of the Agincourt mare, Gypsy Battalia, and has been retained by her breeders, Max and Roz Graham and Trevor Nuthall and other family members.

Good move guys!

After having a resounding 12 months with his Eliza Park International conceived 2YOs in 2012-13, Statue of Liberty has made a terrific start to the new season with his 3YOs including Olivier, Still As, The Bronx, Washington Square, Hudson River, Lion of Belfort, Jersey Short and now, Cocklebiddy.

Accordingly, Statue of Liberty is now equal sixth on the Australian 3YO Sires’ chart by winners.

QUALITY SPURS EPI BUY

Eliza Park International’s owner, Mr Ting Kong Cheng, has purchased the session topper on the second and final of the 2013 Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale, paying $220,000 for the Flying Spur colt from Rock On Bye.

Purchasing Eliza Park in June, Mr Cheng has been a highly visible presence at Australian sales this year and was clearly impressed with the quality of the Flying Spur colt who is out of a half sister to multiple stakes winner Zero Rock.

This is also the family of filly great November Rain and Group One winner Race Master while, interestingly, he is a close blood relation to Flying Spur’s Champion 2YO, San Luis.

A Champion Australian Sire with nearly 900 winners (89 at stakes level), Flying Spur is also shaping a formidable sire of sires with his sons including Magnus and Casino Prince.

Eliza Park International's Alvin Lui with the Flying Spur colt

STATUE’S OLIVIER – ROLE ON SPRING

As far as opening acts go, Olivier makes for interesting theatre.

The Statue of Liberty 3YO showed his true mettle at Ballarat on Sunday, ploughing through 1200m of a Heavy 10 to score his first win for a very excited breeder-owner in Georgia Fraser (and her mum, Veronica).

Coming from near last on the turn, Olivier produced an eye-catching effort to grab victory right on the wire and it now appears the youngster is on target for rich spring roles.

According to Veronica, trainer David Hayes has always had an opinion of the horse, and considers him a black type contender – perhaps as soon as Flemington on Turnbull Stakes day (5 October).

This was only Olivier’s second trip to the races: first time around he produced a fighting third at Geelong despite being caught wide throughout after drawing a wide barrier. Merely a warm up: a dress rehearsal if you will.

But Ballarat on Sunday … well, that’s a different story. For the Fraser women at least, it may as well have been headquarters on Cup Day.

They are very passionate about their horses, with total focus on bloodlines, environment, nutrition, education and training.

Olivier is out of the Belong To Me mare, Our Cache, a black type family which includes Irish 1000 Guineas winner Al Bahathri, Group One winners Haafd and Military Attack, along with Hong Kong Group One winner and Melbourne Cup runnerup Red Cadeaux.

Sold for $100,000 as a yearling at Easter, Our Cache proved to be a real barrier rogue and was unraced as a consequence.

So, when the Frasers got hold of her (“we love the Belong to Me mares – we’ve got six of them!”) they were determined to get the perfect match.

“Despite his success, Statue of Liberty is one of the most underrated stallions in Australia and, best of all, he’s got a marvelous temperament,” Veronica points out.

Statue of Liberty was Our Cache’s first cover and both Georgia and Veronica were determined to play it by the book, having the vet – based close to their boutique Harkaway (Victoria) property – on standby.

Apart from displaying some typical first time mum behavior, both mare and foal bonded quickly and with the freedom of a 15 acre undulating paddock, the latter grew like topsy.

And, as it turns out, the education process would be little more than a lunge in the park: “they broke him in in eight minutes!”.

Determined to go the extra step, the Frasers then placed the youngster with champion trainer David Hayes and, fingers crossed, the rest is history.

Who knows … maybe this Olivier will be awarded a statue of a different kind.

No ... the other Olivier!