The first day of what is set to be the must lucrative year in terms of prizemoney in the history of Australian racing saw Inglis graduates to the fore of the main races.
In Perth, consistent 6YO Casino Seventeen (Casino Prince) showed an abundance of courage with a tenacious win in the $1,000,000 G2 Perth Cup over 2400m at Ascot.
Casino Seventeen won the G2 Perth Cup - image Perth Racing
The Grant & Alana Williams trainee was sent off a short-priced favourite and duly delivered, hanging on grimly in a desperately tight finish.
“This has been 12 months in the making,” said an elated Grant Williams post-race.
“We were able to get here on the minimum (weight, 53kgs) and if we didn’t have that, we might have got beaten.
“The preparation has gone so well I was waiting for something to go wrong but it hasn’t.”
Casino Seventeen has won 9 of his 35 starts and placed in a further 17 for earnings of $1,139,546.
His success continues the incredible run of Inglis graduates in Australia’s most valuable prizemoney races, with Inglis graduates now having won 81 of Australia’s $1m+ open races since the start of 2019.
The admirable gelding was purchased for just $9,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Jo Hardy from the draft of Widden Stud, who offered him on behalf of his breeder, Grant Briscoe.
“Casino Seventeen is just another fantastic example of the value that can be found through the Australian Yearling Sales Series and in particular, at the Classic Yearling Sale,” said Widden’s Antony Thompson.
“He always looked the sort of horse that would appreciate time to develop and he’s really found his niche is Perth with Grant and Alana, who are doing an amazing job with him.
“He’s now won over $1.1m in prizemoney, which is quite incredible.”
Widden Stud will be well represented at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, with a draft of 56 yearlings set to go under the hammer.
“We have a strong-looking draft for the sale, with 18 different stallions featured, including the first yearlings by Anders and Doubtland, who we are very excited about,” added Thompson.
In Sydney, exciting sprinter Insurrection (Russian Revolution) claimed a first Stakes success with a sharp effort in the Listed Canterbury Sprint over 1200m.
The progressive 4YO was given a patient ride by Zac Lloyd and powered past leader Recommendation in the closing stages to score by an ever-widening margin of 1.16 lengths.
“He was superb today,” said jockey Lloyd.
“It was the best he has ever relaxed and with the turn-of-foot, he still needed luck, but he was super.”
Expertly managed by trainer Michael Freedman, Insurrection was purchased for $150,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Darby Racing/Will Johnson Bloodstock from the draft of Bob & Sue Hannon’s Ascot Park.
This was a 7th career win for Insurrection, bringing his career earnings to $829,190.
The catalogue for the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale includes 19 yearlings by exciting young stallion Russian Revolution.
The 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale will be held at Riverside Stables, Sydney, on February 11-13.
To view the catalogue for the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, click here.
