Marvellous mare Montefilia (Kermadec) continued her progression towards the G1 Melbourne Cup with a dominant win in the $2m G2 Hill Stakes at Rosehill.
Trained by Chris Waller, Montefilia settled toward the rear of the big field before unleashing a powerful late sprint to score a decisive win in the Sydney feature.
The result was a significant one for Mr Zhang and Yulong, who paid $3.4m for her at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, where she was offered as a racing and breeding prospect in the Newgate Consignment.
Yulong’s Sam Fairgray described today’s result as “fantastic’’.
“Obviously with the investment Mr Zhang has put into the industry here in Australia in recent times, to be able to win a race with such great prizemoney so soon after buying Montefilia is fabulous and it’s just great to see a good mare back to form and winning,’’ Fairgray said.
“Chris [Waller] had targeted this race for a while and he just wanted her to be able to get back and relax and finish strongly and she certainly did that.
“She’s on a Melbourne Cup path but we’ll let Chris decide how she gets there, whether that’s via a Cox Plate or a Caulfield Cup or whatever.
“She cost a lot of money at the Chairman’s Sale but it’s just great to be able to access mares of her quality at the Chairman’s Sale and that’s exactly what that sale is all about.’’
Newgate Consignment’s Henry Field wasn’t at all surprised by today’s result, nor by how much money Montefilia (pictured) made at Riverside in early May.
“She got terrific exposure in the lead-up to a global audience and it’s fantastic to see Mr Zhang, who’s been a great supporter of the Newgate Consignment, having near instant success in a $2m race like this with her,’’ Field said.
“Chairman’s is a great sale, that mare had four different bidders on her from four different countries on the night which shows the global respect the Chairman’s Sale has from the leading international players.’’
Bred by Geoff Russell, Montefilia was initially a $62,000 Inglis Great Southern Sale purchase for Baystone Farm from the Tyreel Stud draft.
Earlier on today’s Rosehill program Makarena (Snitzel) took the giant leap from midweek Maiden win to feature race success when winning the $500,000 Tapp-Craig.
The 3YO filly was having just her third career start today but showed she was well above average with a determined on-speed win.
In what was just the second running of the Tapp-Craig, Makarena became the second Inglis-sold filly to win the feature following the success of Classic Sale star and favourite for next weekend’s $2m The Kosciuszko, Opal Ridge, last year.
Makarena is a $250,000 purchase for her trainers John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes at the Easter Yearling Sale, where was offered by her breeders Arrowfield Stud.
Upon being purchased Makarena was signed up as an Inglis Pink Bonus horse, with her owners being John Hawkes’ wife Jenny, Wayne’s wife Jane, Michael’s wife Clare and Gary and Christine Lechte.
“I’m the token bloke but you only need 75% female ownership with the Inglis Pink Bonus so it’s great, I still get to enjoy the ride,’’ Gary Lechte said.
“The stable was very confident today and Michael [Hawkes] said we should come up from Melbourne for the day so we did and it’s just been a great day all round.
“Easter is a great sale, I was at Riverside when we bought her and we bought another one from the same sale which won last start at Flemington so we’ll be back next year to get some more.’’
At Flemington today Life Lessons (Tavistock) scored a valuable first black type success with victory in the G2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes.
Trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, Life Lessons is a graduate of the Classic Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Stuart Ramsey’s Turangga Farm, who bred and now race the mare.
Today’s win was her fourth from 11 starts and took her career earnings past the $400,000 barrier.
Life Lessons will target the G1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day in four weeks.
“She might have a run in between, she might go straight there but she’s a bloody good mare,’’ Ramsey said.
“When we got her broken in the breaker told me she was good so I sent her straight to Peter [Moody] and he’s done the rest. He’s been patient with her and given her the time she needed and we’re reaping the rewards for that now.’’
And talented sprinter Star Patrol (Starspangledbanner) made it back-to-back Stakes wins with a dominant victory in the G2 Gilgai Stakes down the Flemington straight.
The result backed up his first-up success in the G2 Bobbie Lewis Quality three weeks ago, convincing his trainer Clinton McDonald to give the 5YO his chance at G1 glory this preparation.
“The [G1] Champions Sprint at the end of [Melbourne] Cup Week looks like an obvious one for him, he’s so dominant down the straight and that’s his asset, he may not be the best horse in that race but we know he can run time down the straight,’’ McDonald said.
“He came through the Bobbie Lewis really well so I suspect he’ll come through this just as well and we thought he could win today.’’
Star Patrol is a $78,000 buy for Josiah Ma at the Classic Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Lustre Lodge.
He was bred by Greenhaven Park Stud and Dream Run Thoroughbreds.
Meanwhile in Adelaide today Jack The Lad (I Am Invincible) became the latest Stakes winner sold off the Inglis Digital platform when winning the Listed Murray Bridge Cup.
Juliano Muscara bought Jack The Lad for just $30,000 online in September last year – the 6YO has won more than $140,000 since.
Jack The Lad is trained by Wayne Francis and Glen Kent at Strathalbyn and becomes the 100th Stakes winner for I Am Invincible, himself a $62,500 Classic Sale graduate.
And at Kembla Grange today progressive 3YO Nondisclosure (Dundeel) broke his maiden at just his second start with an impressive performance.
Nondisclosure topped last year’s Inglis Ready2Race Sale when Ciaron Maher and David Eustace bought him for $750,000 from the Baystone Farm draft.
He was one of two Inglis Ready2Race winners out of last year’s sale at Kembla today alongside Nathan Doyle’s unbeaten colt Midnight Opal (Deep Field), who made it two wins from as many starts.
Nondiscolsure’s Shalaa half brother is being offered at Tuesday’s Ready2Race Sale as lot 122 in the draft of GT and BC Racing.
Inspections for the sale continue at Riverside tomorrow and Monday ahead of the sale beginning at 11am Tuesday.
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