In the last two weeks, Gilltown Stud’s champion Sea The Stars has had three stakes winners, all from a handful of runners in Australia.
On the day that The King’s Sea The Stars colt Desert Hero (GB) earned a possible tilt at the Melbourne Cup with a fighting third in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s 300,000gns Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale purchase Just Fine blitzed the opposition in the Group III Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick.
Just Fine (image Steve Hart)
That was the appetizer. On Saturday, Sea The Stars had five runners, all contesting stakes races across two states.
Uncle Bryn (ex Wall of Sound by Singspiel) punched his ticket for the Caulfield Cup with a one-act performance in the MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
The Chris Waller-trained Sea The Stars gelding Sheraz (FR) (ex Shemiyla by Dalakhani) finished midfield.
On Golden Rose Day at Rosehill, the Chris Waller pair of Sea The Stars geldings Al Aabir (IRE) (ex Wo de Xin by Shamardal) and Desert Icon (FR) (ex Plume Rose by Marchand de Sable) clocked in second and third respectively behind John O’Shea’s rejuvenated Almanzor gelding Athabascan (FR) in the Group III Colin Stephen Quality (2400m).
Cepheus off to The Big Dance (image Steve Hart)
Two races later, the Matthew Dunn-trained Cepheus (GB) made a statement in the Group II Shannon Stakes (1500m). This resilient 7-year-old has been on the go since January and earned his second Group II after the Ajax Stakes at Rosehill in March. In July, he won the South Grafton Cup and placed in the Group III Chairman’s Hcp, Listed Tails Stakes, and Listed Glasshouse Hcp.
Cepheus (GB) has banked $698,692 with six wins, six seconds, and three thirds from 26 starts.
Dunn has indicated the OTI Racing colour-bearer will target the $3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.
Uncle Bryn led home a 1-2 for Seymour Bloodstock when downing the better-fancied Floating Artist (GB) (Nathaniel) in the Group III Foundation Cup (Naturalism Stakes) at Caulfield.
In the same race twelve months ago, Uncle Bryn separated Smokin' Romans and future Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip.
A 130,000gns purchase for Blandford Bloodstock from the Chasemore Farm consignment at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Uncle Bryn (GB) was a talented performer for John and Thady Gosden. He won three of his six starts in Britain and placed in the Listed Blue Ribband Trial at Epsom.
The good Uncle (image Grant courtney)
It is fair to say the son of Sea The Stars has tested the patience of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young since winning the Listed Sale Cup in October and the Listed Cranbourne Cup in November.
Yet his prizemoney increased to over $600,000 with seven wins, two seconds, and two third from 21 starts.
“The horse has been going alright, but his runs had been just, with maybe some excuses,” Trent Busuttin conceded.
“I’ve kept on saying he is a good horse. He got beaten in this race last year, and he’s got a spot in the Caulfield Cup now. He’s got no weight, and he won that well, so it’s onwards and upwards. It’s good to see him back in form.
“He was going better last spring, and he went bad in the autumn. He box-seated in last year’s run and he box-seated today. I told the owners that if he didn’t run well today, we were in trouble because I couldn’t find why he wasn’t going super. He’s bounced back today, so we’re pretty happy.”
A half-brother to the Group III Goodwood Prestige Stakes winner Boomer (Kingman), Uncle Bryn (GB) is one of four winners from as many to race out of the stakes-placed Singspiel mare Wall Of Sound, a half-sister to Group III John of Gaunt Stakes winner The Cheka (Xaar).
