Former outstanding racehorse
Criterion had well documented fertility troubles at stud producing just
14 foals from his first crop and one of them named
YARDSTICK wearing the instantly recognisable
Dynamic Syndications colours made an
impressive winning debut at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Criterion was one of the best gallopers of his generation winning the Australian Derby and Rosehill Guineas in 2014 and the Queen Elizabeth and Caulfield Stakes in 2015.
Yardstick became
Criterion’s first metropolitan winner scoring a 1-1/4 length win at
Canterbury in Race 1 the Sky Racing Active 2YO Maiden Plate (1100m).
Its worth noting that
Yardstick has significant improvement available to him and he will be far better suited at
1400m to 1600m than he was at the 1100m of this event.
Yardstick is prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and had impressed in two recent trial wins.
On the strength of these trials he was sent out
$2.40 favourite for the 1100m colts and geldings maiden, in what professionals are describing as the most competitive 2yo maiden in many months.
Yardstick worked forward for
jet pilot Nash Rawiller to take the lead and then controlled the race to his liking, before going on to score a stylish win.
Nash Rawiller believes Yardstick won’t be out of place in an early season three-year-old stakes race.
“He’s a ripping colt that’s done everything right so far,” Nash told Sky Racing.
“Every time he’s stepped out, he’s improved a little bit.
“There’s a bit of form in that race, against some race fit horses but his ability has carried him through, he’s had a good blow and should improve a lot from the run.
“Hopefully he can build into the early part of the spring and have a crack at something at Listed or Group level.”
Co-trainer Adrian Bott said “He’s still inexperienced and was quite raw today, so he’s open to some sharp improvement having made some mistakes in the run.”
The NSW TAB took note of the win by slashing his price from
$51 into $26 for the Gr1 Golden Rose.
Yardstick will next head to either
The Rosebud LR 1100m on 8 August or the
Up and Coming Stakes Gr3 over 1300m on the Kensington Track on 15 August
Yardstick was bred by SF Bloodstock and partners including Tom Ryan, Matthew Sandblom, and Win Star Farm. He was foaled and raised at Newgate Farm and sold at the 2019 Magic Millions Sale where he was knocked down to Dynamic Syndications / Dean Watt Bloodstock (FBAA) for $160,000.
Newgate boss Henry Field was so impressed with the colt that they had bred, that when the yearling was knocked down to Dynamic, Henry approached us to take a share which was a great endorsement. Then
Sir Owen Glenn of Go Bloodstock fame that owned and raced the sire Criterion also joined our team to race the stunning looking colt.
Yardstick became the first winner for his Dam Exceleine.
She was a metropolitan winning Exceed and Excel mare that was trained by Gai Waterhouse from the family of Group 2 winner and sire Domesday.
The third dam of Exceleine is international blue hen Monroe, whose many Group 1 winning descendants include this year’s Group 1 Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner - Siskin.
Exceleine was on-sold by Newgate Farm in 2018 at the Inglis Broodmare Sale for $70,000 and is now with Cornerstone Stud.
Criterion was a $7million earner who has had three runners so far and all have shown good ability. Yardstick the second winner, joining two-time winner Blaze a Trail and Lady of Luxury, who was third in the Wellington Boot.
Yardstick has always shown well above average ability and he will be given his opportunity to race in some of the nice black-type events in the Spring.
Another team member we give a mention to is trainer and educator
Matt Vella at Hawkesbury.
Yardstick was a typical Alpha Male colt as a younger horse who was his own worst enemy.
He wanted to do things his way or the highway and was boarding on being a little dangerous to trackwork riders and ground staff working with him.
Team Dynamic called upon Matt to do some
“horse whispering” and get the colt to settle and become tractable to give Gai and Adrian a horse to work with. Matt’s skills resulted in the horse begin to obey instructions and turning into one of the most promising rising 3yo’s in training in Sydney.
Also, special mention to our contracted vets
Centennial Park Vet Practice – Dr Tim Roberts, Dr Gary Baitz and Dr Laura Vaughan whom attend the horse constantly to ensure he is without issue and coping physically.
Congratulations to our Outstanding Team of Owners that race YARDSTICK with us: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Newgate S F, Hollymount Stud, Winstar Farm Llc, Mr L Caminiti, Mr A Mitchell, Mr S J Hodder, Mr S McKenzie, Mr G Downard, Mr C L Przibella, Mr A J Luciano, Mr D P Lacey, Mr J M De Zylva, Mr C Matheson, Mr M K Bates, Mr L A Lindsell, Mrs E J Le, Dynamic no. 97, Dynamic no. 98, Go Bloodstock Australia
Yardstick from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
Yardstick became Dynamic Syndications 56th Winner for the 2019/20 Racing Season and recorded our 653rd Overall Race Win.
Importantly, YARDSTICK was Dynamic Syndications 232nd Individual Winner from 256 Individual Runners which is a strike rate of 90.6%.
Onwards and Upwards!