While he may not have lived up to his rising superstar status predicted after winning his first four starts, Viridine has proved himself a wonderful servant for Godolphin.
The 5yo gelded son of Poet’s Voice (GB) took his earnings to over $1 million courtesy of a rails-hugging Damien Oliver ride in Saturday’s Group III Big Screen Company Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Viridine hugs the rail to claim the Bletchingly Stakes (Pat Scala/Racing Photos)
Oliver found whatever little room there was between the pacesetting Great Again and the rail in the closing stages.
The James cummings-trained gelding defeated Magnus’ high-class, Group 1 winning son Streets Of Avalon by three-quarter of a length with the Viscount gelding Great Again a long-neck back in third.
It was the fifth stakes win for Viridine to advance his record to 8 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds from 29 starts with earnings of $1,021,090.
"I was kind of surveying my options when we came to the turn," Oliver told Racing.com.
"I could see them opening up a little bit. One of them was going to the fence and got a bit neat. The horse was going good enough to push through.
"I learned a lot from riding this horse the other day.
"Even going to the start, if I could get him to relax, give a bit of rein at him and gave him a long hold.
"He wasn’t brilliant away, so I wanted to work on getting him relaxed and let the rest of the race unfold."
Poet's Voice (Mark Smith)
Viridine is the best of four winners from as many to race out of the dual Melbourne winner Patina (Anabaa) who was sold by Darley at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Mario and Jenni Cesnik for $15,000 while carrying a filly foal by Epaulette.
The resultant foal, St Edward's Crown, is a stakes-placed winner.
Patina is a half-sister to Listed winner Jerezana (Lonhro), who is the dam of the $2.8 million earner Osborne Bulls (Street Cry).
Patina is a daughter of Saddler's Silk (Barathea) who was placed in the Group I QTC Sires Produce Stakes and is a sister to dual Listed stakes winner and Group 1 placed Barawin.
Patina has a yearling colt by Frosted (USA). After slipping in 2018, Petina was covered by three stallions, Kementari, Epaulette and finally Darley’s flying Dark Angel stallion Harry’s Angel (IRE).
