Artorius Goes One Better Than His Sire in Blue Diamond

Artorius was able to do what his sire Flying Artie was unlucky not to have done in 2016 and win the Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (G1) Feb. 20 at Caulfield, providing father-and-son training team Anthony and Sam Freedman with their first group 1 success together as a partnership. 

After missing the start it appeared Artorius, who was wearing blinkers for the first time, might have had his work cut out, but he defied the slow break and flew home to produce one of the most impressive wins in the history of Victoria's premier 2-year-old race, crossing the line three-quarters of a length in front of Ingratiating, having come from deep in the ruck under Luke Currie.

"It's a big thrill," said Sam Freedman. "There's a big team behind this horse and to have the family colors on today is a nice touch." 

Bred by Greg Perry, Artorius was bought for AU$120,000 (US$82,395) out of the Vinery Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and Freedman admitted that he wasn't a huge fan of the horse at that particular stage of his life. 

"He was very immature and looked six months off being a developed yearling," he said.

"To be honest, I didn't love him. Dad did and he's a very good judge of a yearling. We thought he was very immature and so we gave him time over the last six months and now he's turned into a beast.

"1,200 meters (about six furlongs) is probably short of his best distance. We'll probably be targeting a Guineas (G1) in the spring."

Currie, who was forced to miss the ride on runner-up Hanseatic in last year's Blue Diamond after suffering serious injuries in a fall at Moonee Valley the previous night, admitted that he found himself further back than ideal.

"I knew he was getting a good run through, but I thought he might struggle late, just because he hadn't really had a chance to travel down and quicken," the winning jockey said. "But he just kept coming. It was an amazing feeling the last 50 meters."

The win was a second in three starts for Artorius, who has now bagged just shy of AU$1 million dollars in prize money.

Filling the two positions behind him were the James Cummings-trained pair Ingratiating and Anamoe.

"It was a very good effort. I might have hit the front a smidge early and was left vulnerable," said William Pike, rider of the runner-up.

Anamoe was another 1 3/4 lengths away in third and his jockey Damien Oliver said having blinkers applied for the first time might have tested him.

After a less than ideal lead-up with lameness concerns days out from the race, race favorite Enthaar finished in sixth position. Her rider Mark Zahra commended the effort from a wide barrier (14) and suggested that the high-pressure nature of the 1,200-meter contest tested her in the finish. 

Artorius is the second winner out of Gracie's Lass (Redoute's Choice), an unraced half sister to another Perry-bred horse, Darley Classic (G1) winner Delectation.

The brown colt brought up Flying Artie's first group 1 winner in Australia and continued the exceptional run of success recently set by his young barnmates at Newgate Farm—Extreme Choice and Deep Field.

Portland Sky, Celebrity Queen Dead Heat in Oakleigh Plate

The judge could not split Portland Sky and Celebrity Queen in Saturday's Neds Oakleigh Plate (G1) at Caulfield, with the pair dead-heating in the handicap sprint feature.

Judge Paul Egan deliberated over the photo finish for close to five minutes, with both horses returning to the mounting yard well before the result was officially declared and conveyed to the crowd by on-course broadcaster Matt Hill.

It was the first group 1 win for apprentice jockey Teo Nugent who was aboard the Matt Laurie-trained Portland Sky, while William Pike combined with Grant and Alana Williams for their ninth elite-level success with Celebrity Queen. Both horses were winning at elite level for the first time.

"It was a long way to the post about 50 meters out with 'The Wizard' blowing down my neck," Nugent said.

"My horse took me a long way into it. Full credit to Matt Laurie and the team today. We'll share a dead heat but it's the first group 1 and a big thank you to the team."

Laurie said he considered running Portland Sky, last-start winner of the Superior Food Services Manfred Stakes (G3), in the Neds Zeditave Stakes (G3) earlier on the card instead of the Oakleigh Plate in search of "easy money."

"In the end we thought if he doesn't perform, we won't have lost too much, it just wasn't his time, but if it comes off, there's a lot of reward. I'm glad we took the punt," Laurie said.

Portland Sky, an AU$85,000 ($60,690) purchase from the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, won for the fourth time in seven starts, as he provided Newgate Farm's Deep Field with his first group 1 winner.

Now a three-time stakes winner, he has won more than AU$440,000 in prize money. He is the first winner from two to race out of Sky Rumba (Shrewd Rhythm), who herself is a half sister to multiple listed winner London Line out of a half sister to three-time group 1 winner Scenic Shot.

Sky Rumba has a yearling filly by Sessions, who failed to make her AU$60,000 reserve at last week's Perth Magic Millions sale.

After foaling a colt by Universal Ruler last spring, Sky Rumba was bred back to the Scenic Lodge stallion.

Saturday's meeting was William Pike's first back in Melbourne since returning to Perth following last year's Melbourne Cup Carnival and he was pleased to land in the group 1 winner's circle on Celebrity Queen after having gone so close in earlier features. 

"It was a good effort. I was trying to steer away from the inside, but I couldn't find the way out in the middle of the track so I just went where I had to," Pike said. "She was very brave right through the line and attacked every bit of it."

A homebred for Bob and Sandra Peters, Celebrity Queen has now won seven of her 13 starts, with two of those victories coming in stakes company to earn her connections AU$826,780 in prize money. She became the 39th individual group 1 winner for the late Redoute's Choice.

Celebrity Queen is the only foal to race out of Celebrity Miss (More Than Ready ), who herself won eight of her 20 starts.

Celebrity Miss has a yearling colt by Xtravagant named Celebrity Prince. She has a filly foal by the same stallion and was bred back to the Newhaven Park Stud resident last spring.

Probabeel Leads Home Mares Quinella in Futurity

Top New Zealand-trained mare Probabeel staked her claims on the rich All-Star Mile with a rousing win in the Lamaro's Sth Melbourne Futurity Stakes (G1) that thrilled her connections who, under COVID-19 restrictions, had to watch from across the Tasman.

Cambridge Stud owners Jo and Brendan Lindsay, whose black and gold colors she wears, said they became frantic in front of the TV at their home as she surged to victory and further established her reputation as one of the best female racehorses currently competing in the Southern Hemisphere.

"We were screaming and yelling at the TV, we are so excited about this girl, she's amazing," said Jo Lindsay.

"This horse has taken us on such a journey. She just tries her best," she added.

Usually a man of measured words, her trainer Jamie Richards, who watched the race while attending a close friend's wedding, was also gushing about the performance.

"I don't often get too excited about things but today is really special. 

"She was caught wide from an awkward draw and she sat deep and when she quickened she really let go," said Richards.

In doing so, Probabeel became the 40th group 1 winner of Richards' career. 

Damian Lane, who steered her to victory said after the race: "She is just so classy and a pleasure to ride. She is really tough as well and they've done a great job with her."

The first four horses across the line in Saturday's Futurity are all set to line up in the $5 million All-Star Mile to be run at Moonee Valley  March 13.

The West Australian-owned and trained Arcadia Queen completed a mare's quinella, finishing half a length behind the winner, with Mr Quickie running a fast-finishing third, a further two lengths behind. After being slow away, boom colt Ole Kirk did not run up to expectations and beat just one of his eight rivals home.