Arrowfield’s now-retired champion sire Flying Spur notched up his 90th stakeswinner today at Caulfield when 4YO Spurtonic led all the way to take out the $150,000 MRC Coongy H. G3.
He finished more than two lengths ahead of runner-up Bass Strait and recorded a time of 2:03.11 for the 2000-metre journey.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained gelding is proof that later-blooming talent can richly reward owners’ investment of time and money. Unplaced in two juvenile starts, he showed improvement last season, breaking his maiden first-up and then placing twice at Gosford and once over 1900 metres at Rosehill.
Spurtonic returned in August to win his first three starts, and two weeks ago he ran a slashing fourth in the ATC Epsom H. G1, only a half-length from the winner Boban. Today he ran out the extra 400 metres in commanding style, aided by the superb judgement of Glen Boss who described the win as “easy.”
Boss said, “He’s got a very good future. He was pretty impressive there. It wasn’t the strongest race but he played with them.
“He has good stamina and the way he pulled up you would not know he has been around. He is a 2000-2400m galloper for sure.”
Spurtonic was a $150,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale purchase by Gai Waterhouse from Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud. He is raced by a group of owners including Les & Lynette Polglase who also raced Group 1 winner Herculian Prince.
Flying Spur is primarily known as a wonderful sire of high-class, early-maturing speed horses, but his record includes 17 stakeswinners beyond 1600 metres, among them Group 1 winner Dealer Principal and Group 2 winners Spuruson & Vintedge.
The more obvious source of Spurtonic’s liking for middle-distance trips is his dam Platonic, a QTC St Leger-winning daughter of noted staying sire Nassipour and already responsible for Group winner Carnegie House.
Beyond Platonic, there is plenty of juvenile speed in this family. Spurtonic’s grand-dam is brilliant Group-winning 2YO Startling Lass, dam of Golden Slipper runner-up Shovhog (by Danehill) and sister to Blue Diamond G1 winner Midnight Fever. Other Group winners in the pedigree are Rock Classic, Astrodame (also by Flying Spur), Mahisara aand Woppitt (by Danzero).
Flying Spur is enjoying an excellent season in Australia where he is currently 12th on the General Sires’ list, while his highly prized daughters have put him on fourth position on the Broodmare Sires’ list, just ahead of his former barnmate Redoute’s Choice.
Flying Spur’s final crop of yearlings will be offered at the 2014 sales.