The thrilling victory of Mick Price’s
brilliant colt, Instinction (above), in the Hilton Stakes-LR on the final day of the
Cup carnival has capped off a marvelous Melbourne spring for Eliza Park’s
Racing Division.
Instinction is just one of seven racehorses
to shine in recent weeks: all graduates of Eliza Park’s breaking in and/or
pre-training facility.
Instinction has now won two of his six
outings and will now be targeted at the Sandown Guineas-G2 this Saturday. It
was indeed a gutsy performance in the Hilton and in post-race celebrations,
Price hinted that the Sandown Guineas could well be followed up by the
Australian Guineas-G1 in the autumn.
The Weber family owned, Testa My Patience,
continues to shine and the 5YOs score at Caulfield on 8 October was followed up
a fortnight later – on Cox Plate Day – with a resounding victory in the Crystal
Mile-G2 at Moonee Valley.
The Webers have certainly been patient over
the years and Testa My Patience is just reward for their perseverance. He has
now won seven of 15 outings with six placings and $343,664 in stakes.
Michael Moroney’s Sabrage (below) has been
something of a revelation this spring with his last three runs producing a
third in the Stutt Stakes-G2 at Moonee Valley, a thrilling victory in the
Norman Robinson-G2 at Caulfield and, finally, a tremendous third in the VRC
Derby-G1 at Flemington.
For a horse that raced for the first time
in May before spelling for three months, Sabrage has gone from strength to
strength and has picked up a cheque in all but one of his six outings (for
$277,325 prizemoney overall).
Secret Hills had four runs in the spring
and couldn’t crack it for a win but did pick up a third in the Mitchell
McKenzie-LR, a third in the Henry Bucks-LR and a second to subsequent Cox Plate
favourite Helmet in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude-G3. He has now stepped out in
stakes company on five occasions for three placings.
Platinum Passion will have an opportunity
to notch up her second win (and her first stakes victory) of the Melbourne
spring when she competes in the Eclipse Stakes this Saturday.
Platinum Passion, who already has two
seconds and a third in black type company, won at Caulfield over 2000m on 24
September before leading for most of the journey – over the same course and
distance – in the time honoured Coongy-G3 on the Caulfield Cup program.
This outstandingly bred grey clearly has a
big future at stud … particularly if successful in the Eclipse.
Fastnet Rock – sire of Eliza Park’s boom
sire, Wanted – has been carrying all before him of late and 3YO filly, Roxit,
could easily add to his black type tally following her comfortable win on debut
at Moonee Valley on 28 October … a star filly in the making.
And last, but certainly no least, is the
Bel Esprit 3YO, Sir Fernando, who ran into all sorts of trouble on debut at
Seymour on the first day of spring, but still won comfortably before putting in
a real eye-catching performance when second over 1100m at Caulfield behind
Adamantium (who subsequently ran fifth to Sepoy – beaten just on two lengths –
in the Coolmore Classic-G1).
Sir Fernando finished right on Adamantium’s
flank at Caulfield after being held up in the straight and didn’t find space
until the final furlong. Big future!
“Such consistency throughout the nation’s
premier carnival, speaks volumes for Sue Ellis (Eliza Park General Manager
Racing) and her team,” Eliza Park CEO Cameron Croucher points out. “To have
seven graduates of the pre-training and breaking in division compete at such a
level is a real milestone.”
Want to join the winning team?
A full time position is now available for
an experienced breaker, based at Eliza Park’s Kerrie (Macedon Ranges)
headquarters.
Excellent wages and conditions apply and
interested parties should forward their CV to Sue Ellis at sellis@elizapark.com.au
