Gooree Stud’s Prized Icon filly Tropical Squall continued her remarkable rise to the top when going coast to coat in Saturday’s Darley Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, Tropical Squall credited Gai Waterhouse with her 11th winner of the race and third since teaming up with Adrian Bott.
Without looking likely to be challenged over the final 300m, Tropical Squall defeated the Brave Smash (JPN) filly Kimochi by three-quarters of a length, with The Autumn Sun filly Tutta La Vita one and a quarter lengths back in third.
With her Group 1 breakthrough, Tropical Squall advances her record to three wins and a third from four starts with earnings of $511,050.
“She has been crying out for the mile,” Adrian Bott said.
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uo;I was really confident coming here today if we could make it a nice test for them and try and draw a bit of the speed and brilliance out of those others because we know she was prepped for this and ready. I'm just delighted that it’s come off.
“Obviously, the famous silks of Gooree, Gai and Gooree have had so much success on this day over the years. Those colours out bowling along out front and delighted for Adam (Hyeronimus). I am very pleased on a lot of fronts.
“He’s a great front-running rider, and he’s been keen on this filly for a long time. He’s had plenty of good opportunities all the way through, and he said there are a lot of things he would give up to stick with the filly. He’s been spot on the money there, and I’m delighted for him to get another big one.”
Carrying the same silks as the NZ$3.6 million Karaka yearling purchase Don Eduardo, Tropical Squall was a bargain $16,000 purchase for Gooree Stud from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Bred by Kooringal Stud, Tropical Squall is the first stakes-winner for Kooringal Stud's Prized Icon.
She is the fifth winner from seven to race for the winning Fusaichi Pegasus mare Squalls. A half-sister to Group III AJC Breeders Classic winner Steflara out of Group III winner Blue Storm, Squalls died in 2021, and Tropical Squall is her final foal.
Gooree Stud bred and raced Tropical Squall’s sire Prized Icon, a top-class son of More Than Ready (USA) that won both the Group I VRC Derby and AJC Champagne Stakes. He now stands at Kooringal Stud for a fee of $8,800.
