Sportsbet CF Orr Stakes (Group 1)

CONTESTING his sixth straight Group 1 race Mr Brightside, having been denied in the Cox Plate in the final stride, claimed his own form of redemption, winning Saturday’s CF Orr Stakes in the final bound.

With the tempo at ‘full watts’ with Declan Bates and Pride Of Jenni stringing the field out across Caulfield’s 1,400 metres, it took all of Mr Brightside’s battle hardened strength to haul in the front-runner as a five-length margin separated them at the top of the straight.

The win was Mr Brightside’s fifth Group 1, having now won 15 of his 30 starts after being passed-in on a NZ$50,000 reserve at New Zealand Blodstock’s 2019 Ready to Run Sale.

“He’s a great horse. He’s so dear to our hearts,” said co-trainer JD Hayes. “Pride Of Jenni was so brave there, but I was glad he got there late. There’s so much improvement in him to come. Hopefully it’s the start of a big autumn.”

Mr Brightside is now primed to defend his win in last year’s All-Star Mile that will be run at Caulfield on March 16th. Formerly a A$5 million race, this year’s addition will be worth $3.6 million.

WITH the Inglis Classic yearling sale held at Warwick Farm from last Sunday, the sale’s three sessions were preceded with the running of the A$2 million Inglis Millenium for sales graduates over 1,100 metres at Randwick.

The in-form Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott had the short-priced favourite Fully Lit who was given no favours from barrier 14 in the 15-horse field.

Ridden by Regan Bayliss, the Hellbent colt sat three-wide in the run before accelerating away to win by a length from the Per Incanto colt Rue De Royale and the D’argento filly Rag Queen.

“It means the world to us,” said Redfox Racing’s Bill Duncan who shares training duties with his wife Tracey Rook. “There’s so many people to thank, the breakers, trainers, Inglis are just unbelievable but the person I want to thank most is my wife, she does such a great job, she’s up at three in the morning, lucky to be in bed by midnight, six, seven days a week.”

Aside from the $1.155 million winner’s cheque, Fully Lit also picked up an extra $400,000 for being the first Inglis Pink Bonus-eligible runner home.

The Pink Bonus is active in four Inglis races and goes to the first Pink Bonus runner to cross the line. To be eligible, a horse must have a minimum 75% female ownership and be fully paid up to the Inglis Race Series.

Fully Lit was bought for $60,000 at the 2023 Inglis Classic sale and has now won over $1.6 million from just two starts.

At this year’s Classic sale his half-sister by North Pacific topped the final session selling for $420,000. Across three sessions, the Classic sale grossed $55.61 million for 597 yearlings sold at an average of $93,149 and a clearance rate of 83%.

UNBEATEN in three starts, most recently in the A$3 million 2YO Magic Millions, the Justify colt Storm Boy has been bought into by Coolmore.

He will remain with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott who will prepare Storm Boy for the Golden Slipper on March 23rd for which he is the favourite.

“His performance in the Magic Millions had to be seen to be believed, he had to do the work at both ends and broke his opponents’ hearts in a similar way to what Justify himself did in his own racing career. We have had a close eye on this colt since his first trial and he has raised the bar each time he has been seen in public,” said Tom Magnier of the $460,000 Magic Millions yearling.

“We want to be involved in Justify’s best sons globally, but given that Storm Boy was raised and grazed at Coolmore makes him even more special for us to be part of.”

Herbie Dyke Stakes (Group 1)

BCD Group Sprint (Group 1)

THE Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Proisir mare Legarto triumphed at her first attempt at 2,000 metres, taking out the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday. Legarto won the Australian Guineas winner at Flemington last season, as well as a New Zealand 1000 Guineas.

“I’m elated,” said Ken Kelso. “There’s only one downside to it, that Bev can’t be here to witness it. Her health hasn’t been the best. But I’m sure she gave that couch a bit of a hiding at home.

“It’s just a shame that she can’t be here to enjoy it. She can do things other horses can’t, and she has all the class, and today she showed the staying qualities to knuckle down and win.

“We’ll probably go to the Bonecrusher (Stakes, March 9th, Ellerslie), I would think,” added Kelso. “It’s a good-money race here, especially with the bonus, and it’s three weeks before the Australian Cup (2,000 metres, March 30th, Flemington), so it works pretty well.”

A four-year-old filly, Legarto defeated the Contributer mare Campionessa with The Bold One geldling One Bold Cat in third.

Bonny winner

The second Group 1 on Te Rapa’s card was the BCD Sprint which was taken out by the aptly named mare Bonny Lass, a daughter of Super Easy out of Posh Bec.

“This is a huge thrill,” said her breeder and part-owner Sandy Moore. “For her to race against such a strong field and hold them all out was incredible. I bred this horse and she started out worth about $7,000, and now she’s won more than half a million. She’s been so unlucky in so many races along the way, so I’m absolutely over the moon with this result.”

Bonny Lass is trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall at Matamata and was ridden by Craig Grylls.

AT the conclusion of Books 1 & 2 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka yearling sale, a 12 per cent increase on last year’s gross saw six sessions of sales record a total of NZ $92,322,500 from 758 yearlings sold.

“We were thrilled by the wonderful results across the entire Sale, particularly Book 1 and the final day of Book 2,” said NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook.

“It is very encouraging that early feedback from New Zealand trainers, agents and syndicators is that they are selling their yearlings at record pace.”