Sky Racing’s Queensland Derby (Group 1)
THE Chris Waller-trained colt Providence became Wootton Bassett’s first Australian-bred Group 1 winner following his win in Saturday’s Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm.
Sweeping into the race at the top of the straight as one of the widest in the 18-horse field, Providence hit the front at the 300-metre mark and never looked like getting beaten. Second was his stablemate, the Savabeel gelding Monopolistic, both carrying the red and yellow owners’ colours of the Newgate Bloodstock and China Horse Club Racing syndicate. Third was the Dundeel colt Inspired Legend.
“Great ride from James (McDonald) and a good team of owners,” said Waller. “They constantly support racing and have quinellaed the race with two nice stayers with bright futures. We just see Queensland each and every winter as a springboard for a lot of our better horses and these horses are still on the up, so very exciting for connections.”
Whilst the win was Waller’s 201st Group 1 as a trainer, the victory also brought up James McDonald’s 16th Group 1 of the season to equal the record held by Malcolm Johnston from the 1979-80 season.
“He’s a special idol and an unbelievably good jockey at that,” said McDonald. “He’s not only a champion jockey, but he’s a great guy. He’s always been there to give me a hand too. He’s been very special to me and it’s nice to be equalling him.”
Ladbrokes Kingsford Smith Cup (Group 1)
FOLLOWING good runs in Group 1 races at his past three starts, albeit unplaced, the Joe Pride-trained Headley Grange has broken through to claim a maiden elite victory in the Kingsford Smith Cup over 1,300 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, Headley Grange peeled off the back of the leaders to switch to the inside. Held up for a run 250 metres out he looked gone, before rallying again to claim a narrow victory. The Exosphere gelding won by a half-head ahead of the Per Incanto gelding Jimmysstar, the race favourite, and the Sebring mare Fangirl.
Beautiful
“He’s a beautiful horse, I actually really love him,” said Hyeronimus. “He’s such a kind horse and he has his few little tricks, but we seem to get on really well and the way I was able to ride him today was perfect. He enjoys being ridden like that. He needs to be bottled up like I was.
“When I was able to dart back to the inside and push Nash (Rawiller) to take the run, I was worried that the horses out wide had put too much of a margin on him. But within three strides, I’ve looked across, I’m in front, and we’re at the winning post. It couldn’t have went to script any better.”
Purchased out of the November 2023 Inglis Digital sale for $120,000, Headley Grange has won 11 of his 12 races under Pride’s care, boosting his overall earnings to $2.46 million.
His next start will be the $3 million Group 1 Stradbroke on June 13th, for which Headley Grange is now a $6 favourite.
NEVER out of place in 11 hurdle starts, Sing For Peace, trained by Patrick Payne, has debuted over the larger obstacles with a feature race win in the Australian Steeplechase over 3,900 metres at Sandown.
Ridden by Tom Ryan, Sing For Peace went into the race with an 11.5kg weight advantage over the hot favourite Stern Idol and took it right up to the superstar jumper.
At the base of the hill on the final lap, Sing For Peace just towed his way to the front as Stern Idol improved his position to eyeball the new race leader. The pair went head-to-head from the 1,400 metre mark, jumping the last five in tandem before Stern Idol cracked and Tom Ryan just had to get over the last. Cruising away, the Tavistock gelding won by 10 lengths from Castrofrancaru as Stern Idol faded into third.
On song
“Paddy (Payne) texted me this morning and said, ‘I think he’s fairly on song’,” said Ryan. “He never blows anything out of proportion and, when he says something like that to you, you start to get very excited. He’s met every fence spot on and was brilliant to the line.”
Not disgraced in defeat, the Irish-bred Stern Idol has won 16 of his 30 starts over jumps. “He still ran great,” said Steven Pateman.
“I tried to win the race going up the hill, eyeballing the eventual winner, and he did get in front of him. But he (Sing For Peace) just booted back up with 11.5kg less and away he went.”
Earlier in the day, Steven Pateman did taste success, taking out the Australian Hurdle over the same 3,900 metres on the Irish-bred Mr Waterville, a 2022 winner of the Irish Cesarewitch for Aidan O’Brien, now trained by Clayton Douglas.
It was the Camelot gelding’s second consecutive hurdle win after taking the Champion Novice Hurdle during the Warrnambool’s May Carnival. “Steve rode him terrific, rated him well,” said Douglas. “I think he’s just going to get better and better - it’s exciting times.”
THE Irish-bred Portland, a winner of the 2024 King George V Cup at Leopardstown when trained by Aidan O’Brien, has broken through for his first Australian win at his sixth start.
Trained by Matthew Smith, the Dubawi gelding didn’t race for 16 months before February this year. Ridden by Winona Costin, Portland saluted in the A$200,000 Listed Lord Mayors Cup over 2,000 metres at Rosehill on a heavy track.
“He has been a good work horse, so we were confident he would handle it today. He is a promising horse moving forward, so whether he kicks on now to Brisbane or goes to the spring, we are pleased with what he’s done,” said stable foreman Jamie Smith.