It was Arrowfield’s day at Rosehill on Saturday with five winners on the eight-race card, each reflecting the Stud’s industry involvement as stallion-maker, breeder, yearling vendor and owner.
3YO colt Woodbine (Hussonet-Miss Finland by Redoute’s Choice) opened the day with his third win from four starts and a particularly determined effort it was, after jockey Nash Rawiller followed trainer Gai Waterhouse’s instructions to come down the middle of the track.
Woodbine is raced by his breeders Arrowfield, John Leaver & Alan Jones in partnership with Blue Sky Thoroughbreds, David Paradice & Jeremy Tan and is the first of his champion dam’s foals to race. He was a $750,000 purchase for Waterhouse & Blue Sky at the 2012 Inglis Easter Sale and the Randwick Guineas is his probable Autumn target.
Gai Waterhouse said, “Very impressive colt, I love the way he has this wonderful ability to flatten out and find the line. He attacked the line over the last fifty. It’s the sign of a good horse.”
In Race 2 over 1200 metres, the Noel Mayfield-Smith-trained 2YO filly Unequivocal (Not A Single Doubt-Chocaholic by General Nediym) followed up her stakes-placed Randwick debut last month with a brave rally under pressure to defeat Delectation by almost a length, with Peggy Jean 1.8 lengths back in third place.
Unequivocal has already returned her owners more than twice the $39,000 required to buy her from the Fairview Park Stud draft at the 2013 Inglis Classic Sale. Her win was a welcome boost for the stable which lost 3YO filly Turn Seventeen at Goulburn on Tuesday.
3YO filly All Cerise (Redoute’s Choice-Trick Taker by Capote) put herself on the path to Group 1 racing with a commanding win over 1400 metres for Debbie Kepitis (nee Ingham) and family.
Last year trainer Chris Waller took another Redoute’s Choice filly, Royal Descent, from benchmark racing in February to a stunning 10-length Oaks victory in April, and he is already looking in that direction with All Cerise.
“I will probably come back for another Saturday race in a fortnight’s time. Obviously the Autumn is upon us but as we learnt last year with Royal Descent, if you look after them you can still get to some big targets as well.
“She looked very strong coming into the race, so that was obviously a positive sign. She is a well bred horse and a pretty patriotic family owning here and I am sure they will have a lot of fun.”
All Cerise was bred by Arrowfield and Jungle Pocket, and purchased by Mrs Kepitis for $380,000 from Arrowfield’s 2012 Inglis Easter Sale consignment.
Next up was Sheikh Mohammed’s 4YO mare Seaside (Redoute’s Choice-Living Spirit by Hennessy) who posted her third city win from 10 starts and ran the final 600 metres of the 1400-metre event in an impressive 33.88 seconds.
Trainer Peter Snowden said, “She was good late, she was strong off a slow pace, they sprinted quick the leaders, she had a bit of work to do and did it well.”
Arrowfield’s brilliant day ended on an appropriately emotional note when 4YO gelding Rowie (Flying Spur-Tazkara by Sinndar) stormed home to down the favourite Specific Choice over 1500 metres.
It was Rowie’s fourth win from 10 starts for trainer Paul Messara and owners Arrowfield, John Leaver, Paul Favretto and Paul Rowe, whose son Andrew died in 2011 and is commemorated in the horse’s name.
Rowie is a result of Arrowfield’s joint breeding venture with His Highness the Aga Khan. His dam also has a 2YO daughter, Downtown Manhattan, and a yearling colt, both by Manhattan Rain, and a 2013 filly by Snitzel.
Arrowfield’s Chairman John Messara said, “It’s been a great day, everyone has been here at Rosehill and we’ve had a ball.”