One To Watch - 5 Length Debut Winner for Justify

Breednet - Friday June 30

Justify has had a thumping first season in Australia and he added another promising one to his arsenal with a five-length debut winner in Victoria on Friday.

Naval Academy, trained by the Maher/Eustace operation out of Ballarat started a short-priced favourite at Warracknabeal and was never in any danger of defeat.

Naval Academy as a yearling

Settled behind the leaders by Dean Yendall, the gelding took control rounding the home turn and raced right asway to win by five lengths with seemingly something reserve.

A homebred for Robert and Barbara McLure’s Morning Rise in Victoria, Naval Academy is by Justify out of Kinetic Design (Master Of Design), a stakes placed grand-daughter of Group One winner Kapchat.

The So You Think yearling out of the mare was sold by Morning Rise at this year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $300,000 to Legend Racing.

Just

Advertisement
ify is returning somewhat triumphantly to Coolmore for the 2023 breeding season at a fee of $77,000.

He will be crowned Champion First Season Sire at season’s end courtesy of his now seven winners, including three stakes winners in Learning To Fly, Air Assault and Legacies.

Advertisment
More Reading...
First Stakes Win For Derryn's Doctor Askar
Unheralded four-year-old Doctor Askar has proved himself one of the finds of the summer as he completed his fifth win from just six starts since breaking maidens in December when taking out the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday.
Joyful Fortune Back in the Game
Sparingly raced for an eight year-old gelding, Nicconi sprinter Joyful Fortune has never lacked for talent, but an interrupted career due to injury means we don’t see him very often, but the Lindsay Park team had him ready to rock and roll at Flemington on Saturday and he duly won the Listed VRC ATA Bob Hoysted Stakes (1000m).
Light Infantry Man Gets the G1 Australian Cup Map Right
It was a race full of intrigue, of tactics and speed maps, and elite quality, and at the finish it was Light Infantry Man that rose to the occasion to put a new peak on his career in the Group I Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington.
Back-to-back G2 Wins For Proisir's Waitak
Last year’s Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) winner Waitak has showcased his versatility and class this autumn with a dominant double over 1600m and 2100m.
Kiwi Raider Alabama Lass Wins Listed World Pool Classic Sprint
Yulong based Alabama Express was expected to have G1 success on Saturday with his glamour filly Treasurethe Moment in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill, but with that meeting postponed due to the weather it was left to Alabama Lass to fly the flag.
Third G1 Winner for Super Seth
It's been a dazzling start to 2025 for Waikato Stud's Super Seth siring two Group I winners in Australia in Feroce and Linebacker and now a Group I winning juvenile in New Zealand in La Dorada. 
Comanche Miss a New SW for Castelvecchio
Arrowfield Stud have been having a hot run during the autumn and while unbeaten Castelvecchio filly Verona Rose will have to wait until Tuesday to try her luck in the Group I ATC Vinery Stud Stakes, her sire made amends with a new stakes-winner in Adelaide where Comanche Miss captured the Listed SAJC Clare Lindop stakes (1600m) at Morphettville.
Dancing Show Family Strikes Again – Aviatress to Target G1
Progressive Smart Missile mare Aviatress is building an impressive strike rate with six wins from 12 starts and her latest victory came at Morphettville on Saturday when she scored a dominant win in the Listed SAJC Matrice Stakes (1200m).
A Melbourne Cup Winner By Australia - Could Happen!
Playing the long game by trainer Phillip Stokes could reap the ultimate result after rising imported staying star Deakin secured his spot in the Melbourne Cup by winning the Listed Lexus Roy Higgins (2500m) at Flemington.
Kiwi Skyhawk breaks through in Manawatu Classic
After a series of highly creditable performances against some of the best of his age group, Kiwi Skyhawk broke through for his first feature-race success in Saturday’s Gr.3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2100m) at Trentham.