Champion sire Fastnet Rock produced a rare
trifecta in the
Gr 2 ATC Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday and also added two
New Stakes-winners to his tally with a
Stakes Winner in Adelaide as well.
FASTNET ROCK
Exciting prospect
CLUSTER (4h Fastnet Rock x Tarcoola Diamond, by Last Tycoon) confirmed his spring potential when outgunning
Bull Point (4h Fastnet Rock x Rose of Cimmaron, by Bite the Bullet) and
Ninth Legion (5g Fastnet Rock x Xaar’s Jewel, by Xaar) to score a thrilling win.
CLUSTER winning THEO MARKS
Cluster has thrived for his new trainers
Peter and Paul Snowden, winning two of his three previous runs since joining the stable.
Sent out favourite for the 1400m Theo Marks,
Cluster found himself last turning for home, but when angled into the clear by
Tim Clark he descended quickly to reel in the leaders and win by half a neck.
“Full credit to the horse. Once he got to the outside, he showed his class,” said
Snowden.
“He wasn’t ridden ideally through circumstance, but still stamped himself as the class horse.”
With three wins and three placings from 10 starts and prizemoney topping $280,000,
Cluster will now get his chance in Group 1 company with the MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes on September 28 his likely next target.
“I think the Rupert Clark Stakes is the perfect race for him at the handicap,”
Snowden said.
Cluster is a half-brother to Stakes-placed
Inkling and is the best of four winners from Stakes-winning Last Tycoon mare
Tarcoola Diamond, a grand-daughter of Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes winner
I Like Diamonds.
Turning the spotlight to Adelaide, astute
Caulfield trainer Mick Price made a wise decision sending blue-blooded filly
Royal Ocean (3f Fastnet Rock x Chasing Mammon, by Giant’s Causeway) to Adelaide on Saturday, as she broke her maiden by winning the
SAJC Morphettville Guineas LR.
ROYAL OCEAN (outside)
Placed at her three previous runs,
Royal Ocean put her best foot forwards to beat another promising filly in
Betsy by a long head in the 1600 metre feature.
Royal Ocean continued a great week of success for New Zealand based
Curraghmore Stud as she was purchased from their draft at the NZB Premier Yearling Sale for
$160,000.
Royal Ocean is the first winner for Chasing Mammon, a half-sister by Giant’s Causeway to stakes-winner
Zelsnitz from a half-sister to $5 Million broodmare
MILANOVA and Group 1 winning sire
Holy Roman Emperor.
This is the famed
Fanfreluche family that has produced champion sires
Encosta de Lago and Flying Spur, so
Royal Ocean has become a very valuable broodmare prospect for the future.
Cluster and Royal Ocean are the 64th and 65th stakes-winners for FASTNET ROCK, who also enjoyed great results at the
Keeneland September Yearling Sale this week with four yearlings averaging
$US502,500 which put him third behind only US based Tapit and War Front on the leading sire by average with three or more sold.