Grove Ferry Opens Australian Account

Mark Smith - Saturday September 24

It took eight starts for Grove Ferry (IRE) to break his maiden in Australia, but he chose the right place to do it when giving co-trainer Gai Waterhouse a tenth win in the Group III Furphy Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill.

Fighting win for Grove Ferry (image Steve Hart)

With Tim Clarke in the saddle, the 6yo son of Excelebration (IRE) edged out the favourite Cadre Du Noir (USA) (War front) by a long-head with a long-neck back to the luckless Herman Hesse (Frankel) in third.

A 4-time winner in the UK for Andrew Balding, Grove Ferry (IRE) advances his record to five wins, three seconds, and four thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $286,123.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott said Grove Ferry (IRE) is likely to back up in the Group 1 Metropolitan.

“He’s a tough horse. It was good to see him put his head in front today because we’ve had him about 12 months now and he hasn’t been able to do that for us,” Bott said.

“Maybe getting out in trip has been the key. It was his first time over this distance for us, so that was the only unknown going here today.

“He can be a little bit keen in patches and it took a little while for Tim (Clark) to get him to settle but once he did he found a lovely rhythm and that really helped and that was probably the difference in the end.

“We wanted to see him tick that distance box today and I think he had done that very well. I know he’s had a while between runs coming here today but he had a really good foundation and a good lead-up prior to that. We came here with that in mind, that intention, that we’d leave that option open and I think off what we saw today it’s worthwhile.”

Off to the Metrop (image Steve Hart)

Andrew Balding purchased the son of Excelebration (IRE) for £30,000 from the Hollyhill Stud consignment at the 2018 Goffs-UK Premier Yearling Sale.

A half-brother to Group III Leopardstown Two Thousand Guineas Trial winner and Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup runner-up Recharge (Cape Cross), Grove Ferry (IRE) is one of ten winners from 11 to race out of the Robellino mare Rebelline.

Honoured as the Champion Older Female in Ireland in 2002 (Mile/Int.), Rebelline numbered the Group 1 Curragh Tattersalls Gold Cup among her six wins.

Grove Ferry (IRE) is the 15th stakes-winner for Excelebration (IRE). The 4-time Group 1 winning son of Exceed And Excel shuttled to Coolmore for four seasons.

Excelebration (image Mark Smith)

 

Advertisment

Race Result - Colin Stephen Qlty Gr3 2400m

Rosehill Track: Good(4) Time: 2:29.34
1
Grove Ferry
- 6g Excelebration (IRE) x Rebelline (IRE) (Robellino (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 55
2
0.2
Cadre Du Noir
- 7g War Front (USA) x Dynamic Feature (USA) (Rahy (USA))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58
3
0.6
Herman Hesse
- 6g Frankel (GB) x Dream Peace (IRE) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: J R Collett 54
4
3.3
Mohican Heights
- 6g Australia (GB) x Mohican Princess (GB) (Shirley Heights (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: W Pike 55
5
4.5
Fun Fact
- 7g The Factor (USA) x Fill The Page (AUS) (Dane Shadow (AUS))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Rachel King 53
6
6.6
Monreal
- 9g Peintre Celebre (USA) x Montezuma (GER) (Monsun (GER))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: Tyler Schiller 53
More Reading...
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.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Coolmore Announce Euro 2025 Fees
Coolmore have announced fees for their 20 strong European sire roster with three new additions City of Troy (Justify), Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact)and Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) and a significant increase for Wootton Bassett, who is currently in Australia.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
$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.
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.
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.
Melbourne Cup Winner for Extreme Choice – Rare Slice of History
This year’s $8.5million Group I VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m) produced a genuinely amazing fairytale result for the connections of five year-old Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice, but part of that fairytale is his sire Extreme Choice, who has carved out something seriously special as being only the second sire in history to produce the winner of a Golden Slipper and a Melbourne Cup.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
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.