Two promising colts, First Settler and Reserve Bank, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, fought out the finish of Saturday's Group II Danehill Stakes (1100m at Flemington and are expected to face off again in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Michael Dee tracked an inside path on First Settler. The son of Written Tycoon displayed an electric turn of foot to come from well back to hand the first loss to the Capitalist colt, Reserve Bank, by a half-head, with the I Am Invincible colt Enriched a half-length back in third.
The winner of his first two races at Caulfield and Flemington, First Settler was defeated by fellow Yulong colour-bearer Growing Empire in the Listed Poseidon Stakes. That highly regarded son of Zoustar finished second at his next start in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes.
"It's pleasing when you're working out a photo between your own two horses," Kent said.
"They often work together, and there's nothing between them. I was rapt with Reserve Bank. It was his first try at stakes company. He lived up to what he's shown at home. He's got a beautiful physique and a good turn-of-foot.
"He was exposed the whole way. So, he was very good there. I think he's got more to come in his coat, but the winner, gee, it was a determined run.
"Mick had to fight him to get cover. He went back to last on the inside. It is a very good trait for a colt to be able to come up the inside. It's never easy. To sustain a long run was very good.
"He was a naughty colt, a lot of spirit, but he's become the ultimate professional now. He's so easy at home. He's laid back.
"He never gets colty, and he does everything right. A very tractable horse.
"You can ride him forward. You can ride him back. We do feel he's better chasing one down. We had him pretty underdone for one of our (horses) first-up in the Poseidon.
"We weren't sure we were going to run him, even. That was a really good run there, but he's tightened up magnificently in three weeks.
"Bring on the Coolmore. There's two options. You've got four weeks from now until the Coolmore back here at Flemington. Or two weeks Gothic Stakes (then) two weeks into the Coolmore, or you go four weeks between runs. We'll decide that after they pull up."
A $750,000 buy for Yu Long Investments /Mick Price Racing & Breeding from the Baramul Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, First Settler carries the colours of Yulong who race him with a prominent group of owners, which Rupert Legh, Noel Greenhalgh, and his breeder Gerry Harvey.
A half-brother to the MRC Twilight Glow Stakes winner Vienna Princess (Snitzel), First Settler is the third winner from as many to race for the Street Cry (IRE) mare Graciousness, who won a Kembla Grange maiden in eleven starts.
Graciousness is a half-sister to Vinery Stud's Group I winning stallion Casino Prince, Group III winner Tagus and stakes-winners Lord of the Land and Metallurgical.
Graciousness is also a half-sister to Lady Paget (Testa Rossa), the dam of Oaklands Stud's Group I JJ Atkins Stakes winner Prince Fawaz (Fastnet Rock), and Chateau Cheval (High Chaparral), the dam of young Coolmore stallion Best of Bordeaux (Snitzel), the winner of the Group II ATC Silver Slipper and Group II Roman Consul Stakes, second in the Group 1 Golden Slipper and third in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes.
Graciousness has a 2-year-old colt by Snitzel who failed to make his $250,000 reserve at the National Yearling Sale and has been catalogued for the Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale later this month. The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) foaled a yearling Zoustar colt and foaled a Snitzel colt on August 30.
First Settler is the 64th stakes winner for Yulong's flagship stallion, Written Tycoon.
