Rosehill
THE exciting West Australian mare Arcadia Queen has won on her debut in Sydney for new trainer Chris Waller improving her record to six wins from seven starts. By Pierro, Arcadia Queen gained National attention when she blitzed the older horses at Ascot in the Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes over 1,800 metres last December when in the care of Grant Williams.
Stepping out in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes over 1,300 metres at Rosehill, Arcadia Queen tracked three-wide around the bend to kick clear of her rivals and win by two lengths, just 0.04 seconds outside of the course record. Running home strongly for second was the More Than Ready horse Trope, with the Your Song horse Gem Song in third.
“Today gave me a bit of excitement about race day and just felt on edge a little bit because you’ve been given a very good horse like her to train. There’s a bit pressure involved but I’m very grateful to get the opportunity to train her,” said Waller. “She was sent over in great condition. We picked out a race to start her off in, with a pretty ambitious second up run and it’s worked out brilliantly.”
Arcadia Queen has a slot for the A$14 million Everest on October 19th with Waller maintaining she will improve on that effort. “Our plan was not to over-race her and I don’t want to take the speed out of her because we’ve got an Everest over 1,200 metres. I don’t think she’ll be running again but I’ll have a chat to him (owner Bob Peters), We haven’t pressed the button on her, I swear,” added Waller.
“There’s improvement to come, for sure. She’s certainly got a motor there.”
“HE’S a rocket ship isn’t he?” said jockey Josh Parr after the Exceed And Excel colt Bivouac posted a two-length winning margin in the Group 2 Run To The Rose at Rosehill over 1,200 metres.
“It was a very good decision by the team at Godolphin to remove the blinkers. He’s a very high energy horse. We know he can go fast and he’s done it today without the blinkers and he’s absolutely donkey-licked a very classy field of horses.”
The aptly named Yes Yes Yes, by Rubrick out of Sin Sin Sin was second ahead of another Exceed And Excel colt Exceedance was third.
“I think it was a masterstroke by James (Cummings) taking the blinkers off,” said Godolphin’s Darren Beadman. “He probably needed them early days but he is a lot more switched on now.”
Bivouac is presently equal favourite for the Group 1 Golden Rose on September 28th, alongside Exceedance. That race was won last year by The Autumn Sun, who stands his first season at Arrowifield at $77,000, in-part replacing his sire Redoute’s Choice who died in March.
THE New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association has awarded three Sunline Education Trust scholarships this year. The International Management Scholarship has been awarded to Kyla Robb.
Currently the broodmare manager at The Oaks Stud, based in Cambridge, Robb will spend 30 weeks between Shadwell Stud in England, Coolmore Stud in Ireland and WinStar Farm in Kentucky.
The two Equine Scholarship recipients are Hannah Airey and Laura MacNab who will attend the Irish National Stud breeding course from January.