Ten months ago, after many more months of research and preparation, a project began to purchase colts with the physical make up and pedigree to develop into stallion prospects down the track. In all, twenty four colts were secured on behalf of a group of existing clients and owners. This past Saturday saw the first two of them hit the track in the Listed Newgate Breeders’ Plate at Royal Randwick.
The Breeders’ Plate is a race with a rich history of producing future stallions, with the likes of Baguette, Luskin Star, Choisir, Charge Forward, Snitzel, Sebring, Smart Missile, Pierro and Vancouver all on the honour role. As such it was tremendous that two of the colts, after being put through a hand-crafted JHB management system, and expertly prepared by Peter and Paul Snowden, had demonstrated the speed and precocity to make their debuts in this historic race. On the day things could not have gone better, with Capitalist a devastating winner and Detective running a race full of future promise in second.
Capitalist was purchased for $165,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Daandine Stud, who also bred the colt’s sire, Todman Stakes winner Written Tycoon. Capitalist is out of the winning Fusaichi Pegasus mare Kitalpha, who sadly died a couple of weeks ago, and from a strong and very active two-year-old family. His second dam, Compulsion, was a Gr.3 Blue Diamond Preview winner, while this is the further family of Gr.1 Golden Slipper winner Merlene.
Capitalist has always impressed through his preparation with professionalism and brilliance in equal measure, and demonstrated this to tremendous effect in the Breeders’ Plate. Settled beautifully by Blake Shinn just of the pace, his response in the straight to minimal urging was electric, his winning time of 57.09 the second-fastest Breeders’ Plate ever, and the race posting the fastest final 600m of the day. This was the first time in the past five years that the Breeders’ Plate winner has run a faster final 600m than the Roman Consul winner on the same day, a race this year won by the formidable Exosphere. With that in mind, Capitalist looks a horse of great ability, and will now head for a short break before being prepared for his next target.
It was also particularly pleasing to see the performance of Detective in second under Hugh Bowman, taking a tight gap between rivals to finish a clear second. Detective, a son of Snitzel, was a $220,000 purchase at Magic Millions’ Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, and is out of the Gr.1 winner Covertly. He too will head to the paddock for a short break before returning to prepare for his next target.