HOT OFF THE PRESS

Excellent coverage on Pressday for Sky Channel’s Bred To Win show recently.

Typically insightful comments from Eliza Park’s Sales and Nominations Manager, Mark Lindsay, but if that’s the latest in hair styling, I’ll turn it up!

SHARKBITES ON SHOW

Promising young Eliza Park stallion, SHARKBITE, has got off to a flying start with impressive ‘outings’ from his first crop of two year olds this week.

Following on from a terrific trial by Sharkbite colt, Inafrenzy (from Thousand Veils) at Cranbourne on Tuesday, the Redoute’s Choice stallion doubled up on Friday with the Mathew Ellerton/Simon Zahra trained, Pearly Whites (from Miss Keaton) winning her jump out in fashion that had class written all over it.

Eased down to win without pressure being applied, Ellerton clearly rates his Sharkbite filly highly: “She has a beautiful action and I think she can measure up in the Autumn”.

A sister to 2YO stakes winner, Travino, Pearly Whites is now being turned out and will be set for the 2013 Group One Blue Diamond Stakes.

Pearly Whites was a $75,000 Melbourne Premier Sale filly and is a lovely type like her sire, a stakeswinning son of Redoutes Choice and a

$900,000 Easter yearling himself.

Meanwhile, the John McArdle trained, Inafrenzy (sold for $70,000 at the Melbourne Premier) will be targeted at the time honoured Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Sandown on 13 November.

Inafrenzy’s Cranbourne trial was full of merit, finishing a hard held second behind a full brother to Champion sprinter Starspangledbanner and beating home a strong field.

Sharkbite averaged $55,000 at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, which is a great return on his service fee of $5,500.

Victorian breeders have made Sharkbite one of the state’s most popular sires with  books in excess of 110 mares served in each of the past two seasons at Eliza Park.

Nominations are still available for this year and Eliza Park is offering fabulous deals to Victorian breeders.

Pearly Whites sells for $75,000 as a yearling

HOW DARE YOU!

Rob Horgan phoned on race eve to say that his Written Tycoon 3YO, Darebin, was having its first start and he’d be flying to Strathalbyn to have a look.

“Any chance, Rob?” … “Well, he’s been going OK in work but a bit ordinary out of the gates according to David (Jolly)”, Rob downplayed.

Paying $13 on the ‘billy goat’, an excited (and one assumes, somewhat wealthier) Rob went on to explain post race that “wouldn’t you believe it, he jumped with them”.

Not only did he match ‘em stride for stride early, Darebin stepped up a gear in the run home, scoring by a length and a half with plenty left in the tank.

Thanks Rob - my kids will just have to go hungry for another week!

Messrs Jolly and Horgan are now considering their options, but their Written Tycoon speedster – from the Pentire mare See How You Are – is bound to be seen in the city some time soon.

Named after the Darebin City Council and pronounced darra-bin (“I just liked the name”), Darebin is out of a half sister to Adelaide Cup-G1 winner The A Train and was picked up by Rob as a 2YO from breeder, Eliza Park.

Rob then left Darebin with Sue Ellis’ Racing Division to be broken in before he was sent west to Jolly.

If you’ll excuse the pun, it was a ‘jolly’ good result … Rob is one of racing’s nice guys and hopefully Darebin continues to kick goals for him.

Hoofnote: It was actually a two state double on Wednesday for Eliza Park’s Racing Division with another homebred in Medusa’s Miss (by Henny Hughes from the At Talaq mare, Cleopatra’s Girl) scoring in a thriller at Warwick Farm.

It was the filly’s third win (second win in the trot at the Farm) from only six outings and she too was educated at Eliza Park before re-locating to Kevin Moses’ stables in Sydney.

Darebin

SHARKBITE COLT STARS IN TRIAL

Promising young Eliza Park stallion, SHARKBITE, kicked a big goal with his first crop when 2yo colt Inafrenzy (Sharkbite - Thousand Veils) trialled like the real deal at Cranbourne last Tuesday.

Ridden by 4-time Blue Diamond Stakes winning jockey, Dwayne Dunn,  the promising John McArdle trained youngster was always going easily on the bridle and cruised into second place unextended. Inafrenzy will now be set to commence his career in a Listed race, the time honoured Merson Cooper Stakes (17 November).

Inafrenzy was only beaten by a full brother to champion sprinter, Starspangledbanner, rated a good horse by leading trainer Peter Moody. The field also included another highly rated Moody colt by Exceed and Excel, plus two horses from the powerful  Snowden stable.

Dunn was very impressed with Inafrenzy and will now ride the horse in the Merson Cooper.

Inafrenzy was a $70,000 Melbourne Premier Sale colt and is a smashing type like his sire, a stakeswinning son of Redoutes Choice and a $900,000 Easter yearling himself.

This was a great return on Sharkbite’s advertised service fee, which has been maintained this year at $5,500 including GST.

Sharkbite yearlings averaged $55,000 at that sale, underscoring what great types he throws.

Nominations are still available for this year with Sharkbite seen by many as a great punt, with Eliza Park offering fabulous deals to Victorian breeders.

A fertile stallion with a tremendous temperament, Sharkbite served books in excess of 110 mares in each of the past two seasons at Eliza Park and, keep in mind, those numbers will be running for breeders when they sell the foals conceived this season.

Inafrenzy as a yearling

MAG-NIFICIENT DOUBLE

Champion Victorian first season sire, Magnus, produced a notable double on Friday with Magnus Belle leading all the way to win by 6 lengths before Ludus Magnus motored home to score comfortably on debut.

The Darren Weir trained, Magnus Belle had logged some good leadup form since commencing racing in August but nothing like her explosive performance over 1000m at Mildura: bred by Darren Dance, P Larkin and R Fletcher and out of the High Yield mare Martha, Magnus Belle shot straight to the lead and scored in very, VERY impressive fashion.

There wasn’t six lengths separating Peter Moody’s, Ludus Magnus, from his rivals at Cranbourne, but there was plenty of breathing space regardless with the first starter winning with over two lengths to spare over the 1200m.

Magnus himself was trained by Moody (as is, of course, Magnus’ close relation Black Caviar) and the Caulfield mentor should have quite a bit of fun with this bloke after Ludus Magnus stormed home from near last on the turn.

Hailing from Rob Crabtree’s vast flock of well bred matrons, Ludus Magnus is out of the Distant Music mare Zipstream (a half sister to two of Crabtree’s stakes winners in Furio and Amtrak) and was sold by Eliza Park to Roy Higgins & Wylie Dalziel Racing for $80,000 at last year’s Melbourne Premier.

Roy and Wylie are also riding high on the success of another Melbourne purchase in Moshe, the full brother to Black Caviar who is currently working his way for a monster opening book at Eliza Park this spring.

Roy Higgins & Wylie Dalziel