Australia’s love affair with two-year-old racing shows no sign of abating, with the leading stallion lists dominated by horses who showed the attitude and natural ability necessary to make an impact in the top races as juveniles. Capitalist is a horse who has shown this natural brilliance from the outset, alongside an outstanding temperament and yesterday in the $200,000 Wyong Magic Millions he deployed this devastatingly effective combination of weapons to sublime effect, galloping to an effortless victory in race-record time.
A look at the aforementioned stallion tables reveals that the Wyong Magic Millions is a race which has a good record of producing future stallions, as does the race which Capitalist won in similarly dominant style on his debut, the Breeders’ Plate. One of the leading stallions in Australia, Snitzel, who stood for a fee of $88,000 at Arrowfield this year, is the only other horse to have previously won both races. Capitalist will now be set up for a tilt at the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 9th, where he will bid to become the first horse to win the Breeders’ Plate, the Wyong Magic Millions and the Gold Coast Magic Millions, with Snitzel having finished third to Bradbury’s Luck in the 2005 edition of the latter.
Capitalist, at $165,000 from the Daandine Stud draft at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, is one of 24 colts purchased by James Harron Bloodstock for existing owners at the yearling sales in 2015, with the intention of developing future stallion prospects. Intention is one thing, but deliverance is the key, and it is thrilling to see that this selection process, in conjunction with a hand-crafted management program, is already getting results with the 2YO racing season less than three months old. The management system is spearheaded by the father and son training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden, who have prepared Capitalist beautifully, leaving enough to work on for him to be at his peak in three weeks time. Rider Blake Shinn also deserves special mention, keeping a cool head on a strong favourite and handling him beautifully to both impressive victories – he and Capitalist look a formidable pairing.
Final and biggest mention has to go to the owners, who have shown tremendous faith in investing in this group of colts, and I am delighted that their faith has been rewarded with a colt who looks out of the very top drawer.