Prolific winner Conscript has landed a sentimental victory for connections, making the successful step up to open company with a barnstorming performance at Randwick.
The five-year-old is one of only two foals out of Carmelita Mo, an unraced mare who showed promise at the trials before a knee injury prematurely ended her racetrack career.
Her connections, including trainer Gerald Ryan, decided to keep her as a broodmare and she produced two above average offspring – Saturday’s SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Handicap (1100m) winner Conscript and three-time victor Mihocek – before tragedy struck.
“Carmalita Mo, she was a filly I bought by Uncle Mo and she had trialled really well a couple of times then she shattered her knee,” Ryan said.
“We all stayed in her and we bred two foals out of her, this bloke (Conscript) by Time For War and the next one was by Sooboog, Mihocek.
“When Mihocek was a foal he used to gallop around the paddock all the time, she was running across the paddock chasing him and broke her shoulder.”
While Mihocek has recently been sold to Macau, Conscript is still flying the flag for the family in Sydney.
Saturday’s win was his eighth from 19 starts and it proved to Ryan he had pulled the right rein by sending the gelding back to the paddock when he didn’t come up as hoped during the summer.
“After he raced last winter, he’s come up in the summer and we weren’t happy with him so we turned him out again and brought him back at this time of year,” Ryan said.
“He’s come back a lot bigger and stronger and a better horse.”
Appreciating a solid tempo, Conscript ($8) settled back in the field for apprentice Reece Jones and unleashed a powerful finish to score by 1-1/4 lengths over Pizarro ($6) with Surreal Step ($41) another three-quarters of a length away third.
In a good afternoon for the stable, Ryan and training partner Sterling Alexiou were back in the winner’s stall 40 minutes later when Cisco Bay ($14) zoomed down the outside to snare the Precise Fire Handicap (1400m), defeating barn mate Steely ($31).
Both Cisco Bay and Steely are being aimed towards the South Grafton Cup in the hope they can qualify for a berth in The Big Dance on Melbourne Cup day at Randwick.