The faith of connections in Stay Focused is infectious, with a plan mapped out targeting the Blue Diamond Stakes even before the son of Cosmic Force made an exciting debut in Saturday’s $150,000 Rex Gorell Geelong Diamond Hcp (1100m) at Geelong.
Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse for Phillip Stokes, Stay Focused justified the confidence of punters when he ran down the $1,300,000 Snitzel colt Trunk by two lengths with another Snitzel debutant, Markdel, two and three-quarter lengths back in third.
A $190,000 pinhook for Blade Racing from the Kingstar Stud draft at the National Weanling Sale, Stay Focused was the highest-priced yearling from the first crop of Cosmic Force when Bennett Racing went to $250,000 to secure the colt from the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions.
Bennett Racing has enjoyed success with Stay Focused’s three-quarter sister, Beauty Rising (Deep Field), and half-brother, Apache Star (Star Witness).
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uo;I think he is a very good horse. We loved him from the day we bought him,” Nathan Bennett said.
“He is the highest-priced Cosmic Force colt. We love this horse so much that we have gone hard on Cosmic Force and put a few mares to him.
“The way he did that is very exciting; he lengthens out and has a huge stride. The way he paraded, he is such a professional. He says look at me; I think he loves himself; he knows he is good.”
A half-brother to Group III-placed Miss Moana (Uncle Mo), and Listed Geelong Classic runner-up Hollywood Mo (Uncle Mo), Stay Focused is the seventh winner from nine to race for the Galileo mare Coral Reef.
A $100,000 purchase for Hollymount Stud at the 2019 National Broodmare Sale, Coral Reef is a half-sister to Listed winner Chevauchee (High Chaparral), and a granddaughter of the Irish Oaks heroine Knights Baroness (Rainbow Quest).
Coral Reef has a yearling brother to Stay Focused. After missing in 2022, the daughter of Galileo was among the first mares to visit Artorius.
Cosmic force has made an exciting start to his career at stud.
The son of Deep Feld is the sire of the unbeaten filly Devine Force, the ATC Inglis Nursery (RL) runner-up Beer Baron, the promising New Zealander Full Force.
Cosmic Force stands at Newgate Farm at a value fee of $11,000.
