Eighth G1 Win for Fastnet Rock’s Champion Mare Avantage

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 27

Avantage continued her march into the realms of super stardom when she made it career Group One number eight with a gritty win in the Group I El Cheapo Cars Weight-For-Age Classic (1600m).

Avantage (inner) is at full stretch to hold out Callsign Mav in the Gr.1 El Cheapo Cars Weight-For-Age Classic (1600m) at Otaki Photo Credit: Race Images – Peter Rubery

Unbeaten in three starts, all at Group I level, in her current campaign, Avantage was confidently expected to take Otaki’s elite feature on Saturday to make it four in a row and she duly obliged under a confident ride from Opie Bosson.

Bosson had the Fastnet Rock mare positioned perfectly outside the pacemaker Deerfield throughout before issuing a confident challenge at the 300m. Kept up to her work by Bosson, Avantage held out a gallant late bid from Callsign Mav, who had tracked all the way and took the victory by half a length with Travelling Light showing her best form of late with a nice run into third.

Bosson was full of praise for the effort by his mount, who showed all her fighting qualities in the last 100m to hold out Callsign Mav.


Advertisement

“The plan was to go forward and ride her positively early,” Bosson said.

“We got into a little bit of trouble when Deerfield came across us, but she came back off him, relaxed nicely and did everything right.

“I could see him (Callsign Mav) out of the corner of my eye, but once I gave her a few backhanders she put her head out and had a crack.

“That just shows you how good a racehorse she is, she just loves it.”

With trainer Jamie Richards busy back on his home track at Matamata, it was left to his father Paul to travel with the mare to Otaki and he was thrilled with the result.

“Halfway down the straight she had a fight on her hands and she found plenty,” he said.

“She is an amazing athlete who has been doing this since she was a two-year-old and there is still plenty ahead of her.

“She will travel home and the team will look after her, but I think at this stage her next target could be the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) at Ellerslie.”

Jamie Richards also confirmed that a potential trip to Australia later in the autumn was also being considered although no definite arrangements had been made as yet.

David Ellis of Te Akau Racing bought Avantage for $210,000 out of the Oaks Stud Premier draft at the 2017 Karaka Yearling Sale and she has the super impressive record of 15 wins and seven placings from 25 starts with earnings in excess of $1.9 million.

Avantage is a half-brother to stakes-placed Asathought and is the best of three winners for stakes-winning Zabeel mare Asavant, a daughter of Group III winner Pins ‘n’ Needles and half-sister to Hong Kong based Group I winning sprinter DB Pin.

Asavant is now in the ownership of Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock and has a two year-old filly by Fastnet Rock called Mystic Mermaid and produced a colt by him last spring. 

Fastnet Rock
She was also one of 82 mares covered by Coolmore’s champion sire last spring.


 

Advertisment

Race Result - El Cheapo Cars Gr1 1600m

Otaki Track: Dead(4) Time: 1:34.07
1
Avantage
- 5m Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Asavant (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: J W Richards Rdr: O P Bosson 57
Fastnet Rock
2
0.8
Callsign Mav
- 4g Atlante (AUS) x Raadisi (NZ) (Volksraad (GB))
Tnr: J G Bary Rdr: J K Riddell 59
3
3.3
Travelling Light
- 4m El Roca (AUS) x Cissy Bowen (NZ) (Colombia (NZ))
Tnr: B W Foote Rdr: L J Allpress 57
4
4.1
Shadows Cast
- 8g Per Incanto (USA) x Ages Past (NZ) (Slavic (USA))
Tnr: M K Oulaghan Rdr: C W Johnson 59
5
7.1
House Of Cartier
- 5m Alamosa (NZ) x Shez Sinsational (NZ) (Ekraar (USA))
Tnr: Peter Didham Rdr: R H Schofer 57
6
7.9
Imelda Mary
- 5m Ferlax (NZ) x Eleesha (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: W P Hillis Rdr: L T Hemi 57
7
9.2
Deerfield
- 7g Falkirk (NZ) x The Dazzler (NZ) (Centaine (AUS))
Tnr: C A Bambry Rdr: S O'Malley 59
More Reading...
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.