Timely Group 1 Success for Hungry Heart in Vinery

Hungry Heart is a prime example of the globalization of the Australian racing and breeding industry and the filly's value, and that of her half sister, April 3 soared when the internationally-bred 3-year-old lived up to her obvious potential in the Vinery Stud Stakes (G1) in Sydney.

Coming from last and swinging wide in the Rosehill straight, in contrast to what had occurred in the eight other races at the Rosehill meeting Saturday, Hungry Heart ran down well-backed favorite and race leader Harmony Rose to score by a short neck. Impecunious was 2 3/4 lengths back in third.

"It was a great win, it was a great race to watch. She was back and at least they ran along quickly, so it gave the backmarkers their chance," Hungry Heart's trainer Chris Waller said. 

"But gee, with 300 meters to run I could see her making her run but it was starting to tell. There was a lot of ground to make up but the last 100 meters she really fought hard and got there quite well."

Runner-up in the Darley Flight Stakes (G1) in the spring and unplaced a week later in the Schweppes Thousand Guineas (G1), Hungry Heart was also unplaced in her first two starts this campaign before returning to winning form in the Chandon Phar Lap Stakes (G2), a successful lead-in to the Vinery Stud Stakes used previously by Waller.

The Phar Lap win, Waller believes, was a turning point in Hungry Heart's career and he was not going to play with race tactics despite the obvious rails and on-pace bias.

He said: "I just cannot explain how much it does with horses, jockeys, people. No matter what sport you're in, or even just everyday life, what confidence does. 

"I think that win last start was a big help, and to me today that last 100 meters she could've easily run second but she really stuck her head out and tried her guts out."

The leading trainer was non-committal about Hungry Heart following the traditional path of most Vinery Stud winners by pushing on to the Australian Oaks (G1).

"I guess winning form, as I said, is good and most importantly there's a bright future," he said. 

"I actually didn't give it much thought whether we'd be going there (the Oaks) as I just wanted to tick that group 1 box, but I guess there is now that consideration."

Hungry Heart's jockey Kerrin McEvoy admitted to having doubts about the filly's ability to run out a strong 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles), but she certainly dispelled them as she hit the line strongest to claim the group 1. 

"Up to 2,000 meters today she had to tick the box and we were slow to begin so I was worried the whole way that we were too far back given the way the day has unfolded so far," McEvoy said.

"Full credit to her, I had to wheel out and make my own way into it and that's exactly what she did.

"The pace did suit, but she still had to do it, not many horses have made up a lot of ground today."

Hungry Heart's owner, Yuesheng Zhang's Yulong Investments, his Victorian racing and breeding operation, will offer her half sister, who is by Australia's four-time reigning champion stallion Snitzel , as Lot 328 at this week's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray, who was at Rosehill to witness Zhang's second Australian group 1 win, described Hungry Heart's half sister as a mature yearling. 

"She's a very sharp looking filly; strong, good shoulder and hind quarter, moves well and, importantly, she has a great temperament," Fairgray said. 

"Comparing her to Hungry Heart, there are many similarities, but being by Snitzel she's got a bit more strength about her at this stage. 

"She's been popular to date and after today's win I suspect it will only have her out of the box many more times the next three days."

A homebred for Yulong, who bought Hungry Heart back when she went through the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for AU$300,000 (US$215,550), she is out of the Pivotal  mare Harlech who was sourced by agent Sheamus Mills on behalf of Zhang at the 2016 Tattersalls July Sale before being covered by Juddmonte's champion Frankel  to Southern Hemisphere time, a mating which has produced Hungry Heart.

Harlech is a half sister to group 3 winner Maamora  while Hungry Heart's second dam is the listed winner Zoowraa  and her third dam, Beraysim, was also successful at stakes level.

Harlech, a prized member of Yulong's elite broodmare band, has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Snitzel and the aforementioned yearling filly by the same sire. She was not covered in 2019 but she visited Yulong's first season sire Alabama Express last year.

Juddmonte's Frankel has five yearlings on offer at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, three fillies and two colts.

On the Bubbles Breaks Through for Brazen Beau

On the Bubbles has rounded out Te Akau Racing's dominance of New Zealand's feature 2-year-old races after the juvenile landed the last group 1 race of the season, the Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (G1) Saturday.

The Jamie Richards-trained gelding, who claimed the rich Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million earlier in the season, had to settle for second-place honors behind stablemate Sword of State in the Sistema Stakes (G1) last start but made up for it with a convincing win at Awapuni.

On the Bubbles, who was also runner-up to Sword of State in the Waikato Stud Slipper (G3) in February, was sent forward by jockey Johnathan Parkes who angled him to the center of the course at the top of the straight to maintain a three-length margin over another stablemate I Wish I Win.

Bonny Lass was a further four lengths away in third place in Saturday's Sires'.

"On the Bubbles just loves being a racehorse," Richards said. 

"I'm proud of him. He's been to almost every dance this season, and he just keeps improving.

"I knew from his work on Tuesday morning that we were in for a good show this weekend, and he's lived up to it on race day.

"He'll go out for a good break now, and we'll bring him back and set him for the Two Thousand Guineas (G1) in November."

Richards also has a high opinion of the Waikato Stud-bred and raced I Wish I Win.

He said: "Take nothing away from I Wish I Win, that was a huge effort from a horse having only his second start. I think they're two pretty exciting horses for the future."

It is the fourth time in succession that Te Akau has won the Sires', with On the Bubbles following on from star mares Melody Belle  and Avantage and gelding Yourdeel. 

The race was not run in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak closing the racing industry for a number of months.

On the Bubbles' breakthrough group 1 success was also a welcome first for his Darley sire Brazen Beau  whose group 3-winning, group 1-placed son North Pacific was officially retired to Newgate Farm last week.

Bred by Cathy Hains' Burnewang North Pastoral, On the Bubbles is out of the placed mare More Bubbles (Sebring (AUS), a half sister to Myer Classic (G1) winner Politeness. 

On the Bubbles was sold as a weanling at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Sale for AU$60,000 ($41,232) to Ben Kwok and agent Bevan Smith and was reoffered at the following year's New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, where Te Akau Racing's David Ellis went to NZ$90,000 ($59,484) to buy the colt.

On the Bubbles' group 1 victory was an immensely rewarding one for young New Zealand agent Smith who has been in Australia for the past nine months working the sales without an easy way to return home without undertaking hotel quarantine.

"It's unbelievable, such an amazing feeling. He was one of the very first horses I bought since going out on my own and Ben was one of my biggest early supporters so I'm so thrilled for everyone involved," Smith said from the Inglis Riverside Stables complex Saturday.

"He always looked a precocious type, which he has obviously turned out to be, and I'm sure that's not the last group 1 he'll be winning.

"This year has been fantastic for me, very rewarding both on and off the track, and I'm hoping that can continue next week as we get to Inglis Easter. I can't wait.''

More Bubbles has a weanling colt by another Darley stallion, dual group 1 winner Impending, but she did not get in foal last year.

Burnewang North's Hains was "absolutely delighted" after watching On the Bubbles' comfortable Sires' victory on TV.

"He had a lovely frame as a young horse and we always thought he'd develop into a nice horse. We took him to Great Southern and he didn't have perfect X-rays so, while he was extremely popular in the lead-up, most were turned off him off the X-rays but, you know what? He's now a group 1 winner," Hains said.

"Buyers are learning all the time (about) the challenges that X-rays present, but I think the good judges are more forgiving and Bevan Smith and Ben Kwok are outstanding judges, so credit to them.

"I'll definitely be on the bubbles tonight—we all will be.''