SAROA Robert Sangster Stakes (Group 1)

BROUGHT up in Alice Springs in Central Australia, 23-year-old Ethan Brown realised a childhood dream in becoming a Group 1-winning jockey in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday.

Riding Snapdancer, the least favoured of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s trio of starters in the 1,200 metre sprint for fillies and mares, Brown bluffed his rivals who handed him the lead without contest as Snapdancer crossed from the outside barrier 15.

Dictated tempo

Easing the pace momentarily in the middle stages Brown dictated the tempo, the bigger names keeping a closer watch on those around them rather than what was unfolding up front.

Leading through the bend, Snapdancer and Brown took three lengths out of the field at the 300-metre mark as the race devolved into a contest for second.

Home by nearly two lengths the five-year-old Choisir mare trumped the 2020 Golden Slipper runner-up Away Game, a daughter of Snitzel, with a similar margin to the Exceed And Excel mare September Run, who came into the race a last-start winner of the Group 1 William Reid Stakes.

“I’m still spinning a bit, I can’t really believe it but to get my first Group 1 here, especially for Ciaron and Brad Spicer (owners’ syndicate manager), it’s just amazing,” said Brown.

“I moved out of home when I was 15. It’s been a lifelong dream and to get it at such a young age it’s so surreal.

“I’ve got so many people to thank, and they know who they are. The grandparents are here watching today which makes it even more special.”

With seven seasons riding under his belt, Brown has landed just over 300 winners. “Ciaron said ‘Just make sure you’re on top of her in the gates’.

“I was fortunate enough she jumped well. She got a nice lead and was placed to perfection, and the great trainers in Ciaron and Dave had her nice and fit. I can’t explain the feeling,” added Brown.

Of leading all the way, he said: “I’ve been in that situation a few times and got run down, but the feel she was giving me, I was confident pretty far out.”

Bred by Coolomore and purchased from their draft for A$60,000 at the 2017 Inglis Chairman’s Weanling Sale, Snapdancer, out of the Irish-bred Galileo mare Snapdragon, she was subsequently sold to her first trainer Darren Weir and owners Spicer Thoroughbreds for $180,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

She has now won six of her 18 races, having dramatically improved her broodmare value.

DAY one of Adelaide’s May carnival wouldn’t have been complete without Johnny Allen reacquainting himself with the winner’s circle.

A winner of the four of the last six editions of the Group 1 South Australian Derby, Allen sharpened his focus with a win in Saturday’s Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes aboard the Dalakhani mare Silent Sovereign for the father and son duo, Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

The grey mare’s searching run from wide on the bend saw her overwhelm her rivals in the final 100 metres to win by a half-length from the Foxwedge filly Foxy Frida and the Magnus filly Comica.

Blinkers

“Tony’s instructions were just ‘blinkers first time and she could be a little keen. Just let her jump out and ride her where she’s comfortable, and Johnny did just that,” said stable representative Sarah Rutten. “Johnny didn’t find any traffic and led her all around the field, and she was strong late.”

Allen will pair with the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Detonator Jack in today’s South Australian Derby as the Jakkalberry gelding seeks to improve his record to four straight wins since debuting in March. “

I’ve had great luck in South Australia, it’s been a good hunting ground for me. I’m always glad to get down there for the carnival and the better races,” said Allen. “I think he’s the right horse. He’s got a bit of class, first time up to that trip (2,500 metres) but I’d be confident he would run it, he’s certainly shown us all the right signs that he can be very competitive in that race, hopefully.”

THE former Joseph O’Brien-trained Numerian, bred by Aidan and Annemarie O’Brien’s Whisperview Trading, won Saturday’s Listed $250,000 Gosford Cup. Signing off in Ireland with an inglorious last in the 2021 Amethyst Stakes, this was Numerian’s first win in five Australian starts for trainer Annabel Neasham.

Over Gosford’s 2,080 metres, the Holy Roman Emperor gelding won by a length defeating the Irish-bred Great House, 13th in last year’s Melbourne Cup; and the French-bred Motivator gelding Mirann. “He got stronger and stronger down the running, the further we went. He’s a lovely horse and I think with cover, he will race over 2,400 metres, and well placed by Annabel today,” said jockey Sam Clipperton (pictured).

Busy at Inglis Broodmare Sale

LAST Sunday’s Inglis Broodmare Sale drew the curtain on over A$55 million in trade across five days and three separate catalogues at the Inglis Riverside complex at Warwick Farm.

The two-day Inglis Australian Weanling Sale kicked off proceedings with $13 million raised from the sale of 266 foals for an average of $48,910, and median of $30,000. The top price of $400,000 was paid by Trilogy Racing for Fairhill Farm’s Pierro filly out of a Danehill Dancer mare.

Top lot for Tom Magnier

Last Friday week night’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, consisting of a selection of 93 race fillies and broodmares, saw over $33.4 million traded with Tom Magnier taking home the top lot, the dual Group 1 winner Shout The Bar for $2.7 million.

“We’re delighted to get her, she’s a standout mare,” said Magnier of the Not a Single Doubt five-year-old. “We want to buy the best mares for Home Affairs. There’s an old saying,’‘you need to breed to the best to get the best’ and that’s what we do. Everybody’s here and I know it’s got a huge international following, a lot of people around the world are watching this sale.”

By night’s end 71 fillies and mares had sold for an average of $470,845 and a median of $350,000 as four others broke seven figures. They were led by Sia, by Fastnet Rock, who sold for $1.6 million; Ellicazoom by Testa Rossa ($1.45 million); Quantum Mechanic by Deep Field ($1.2 million); And Daysee Doom by Domesday ($1.1 million).

Closing out the sales feast was Sunday’s Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale where 134 of 170 offered horses were sold for an average of $64,687 and a median of $45,000. The Coolmore offered Tiz My View, by Snitzel and in-foal to Hanseatic topped the sale at $350,000 to the bid of Team Lucky Vega.

Spendthrift Farm is sold

PROMINENT Victorian owners and breeders David Moodie and Ash Hardwick have purchased the 602-acre Australian property of Spendthrift Farm under the name of Hesket Thoroughbreds which includes some of their racing stock and stallions, with the deal announced on Tuesday.

The Kentucky-based Spendthrift, led by the late B. Wayne Hughes, bought the former Yallambee Stud in 2015. As part of Spendthrift’s dispersal 40 weanlings, broodmares will be offered in an unreserved sale at this month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale.