The Inglis Premier-sold rising superstar Masked Crusader (Toronado) announced himself as the new kid on the block of the Australian sprinting ranks with a dominant victory in last night’s G1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
At just his 10th career start, the Team Hawkes-trained 4YO produced a devastating turn of foot to defeat some of the best sprinters in the land and secure a maiden G1 victory.
Masked Crusader wins the William Reid Stakes - image Grant Courtney
It came after an unlucky third placing in the G1 Canterbury Stakes a fortnight earlier, where he put the writing on the wall with a barnstorming effort to come from back in the field to finish a close third at his first G1 WFA attempt.
Bred by Gilgai Farm - who retained a share in the explosive galloper - Masked Crusader sold to Hawkes Racing and Cameron Cooke Bloodstock for $340,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale, where Gilgai offered him.
He has now won five of his 10 starts for almost $600,000 in earnings and his future looks exceptionally bright.
Masked Crusader will now likely head to Sydney for the G1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on the new date of April 10, before possibly then contesting the G1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick a fortnight later.
Masked Crusader (pictured) became the 59th individual Inglis graduate to win a G1 since 2018, almost 50% more than our nearest competitor.
He also provided his stallion Toronado – who stands at Swettenham Stud in Victoria - with his first G1 success.
“And I’ll tell you one thing, it won’t be Toronado’s last either, not by a long shot. He’s a gem of a stallion,’’ Gilgai’s Rick Jamieson said.
“This is a great Victorian result – he’s bred here, the stallion is based here, the horse sold at the Inglis Premier Sale here and of course the G1 was here.
“Masked Crusader, he was just such a stunning physical all the way through and we always believed he would develop into the racehorse he is now starting to.
“He’s still young, he doesn’t know what he’s doing yet but he’s got a real turn of foot and he could be the next big thing this horse.’’
Masked Crusader joins a long list of G1-winning graduates offered by Gilgai through Inglis sales such as Black Caviar, All Too Hard, Ole Kirk, Jameka etc.
Last night’s win also saw Masked Crusader firm into $21 with TAB for this year’s The Everest.
Inglis is managing the sale process of the GPI Everest slot, which is available for purchase for the next one, two or three years.
Interested parties must email their expressions of interest to Inglis’ GM of Bloodstock Sales and Marketing Sebastian Hutch by 5pm on April 15 at sebastian.hutch@inglis.com.au
Masked Crusader’s success capped a big day for Inglis graduates yesterday.
Earlier on last night’s Moonee Valley program, Quantum Mechanic (Deep Field) secured a valuable first Stakes success when victorious in the G2 Sunline Stakes.
Her trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior purchased her for $180,000 at the 2018 Easter Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Milburn Creek.
The 4YO mare, which was bred by Tony Santic’s Makybe Racing and Breeding, has now won more than $400,000 in prizemoney and ensured herself a valuable future as a broodmare.
This year’s Easter Sale – to be held at Riverside Stables as a live auction on April 6 and 7 – is again shaping as a must-participate, with 466 of the Southern Hemisphere’s best yearlings catalogued.
To view the catalogue, CLICK HERE.
A month after the Easter Sale is the Chairman’s Sale, which also promises to be a spectacular renewal with outstanding race fillies and broodmares entered for the auction on Friday May 7.
The catalogued received another significant update at Moonee Valley last night when Chica Fuerte (Hinchinbrook) won the G3 Alexandra Stakes for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Her dam Guapa is being offered in foal to I Am Invincible and is sure to receive attention from buyers around the world.
The final Chairman’s catalogue will be released mid next week.
Also yesterday, talented stayer Entente (Dundeel) made a mess of his opposition with the easiest of wins in the Listed Albury Cup.
It was a second Stakes win for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 4YO, who also won the Carbine Club Stakes during The Championships last year.
Entente is a $105,000 Premier Yearling Sale purchase for Shaun Dwyer, from the Bombora Downs draft, and has now won $535,000 in earnings.
