Coolmore Enters Trio in 'Premium 3YO Race of the Year'

Coolmore certainly wasn't the first to embark on a colts partnership but, as is evident with everything the Magnier family does, when they decide to do something, they do it properly and in a big way.

The result of the Australian operation's decision, made in late 2019, to target the yearling sales in a bid to buy and race colts in the hope they could succeed on the racetrack and eventually join their dual-hemisphere stallion roster is demonstrated by the field in the race they sponsor Oct. 30, the Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1).

Coolmore Australia's colts partnership has three runners in the 3-year-old group 1 race—Home Affairs, Ranch Hand, and Minsk Moment—and all are prepared by champion trainer Chris Waller, himself a member of the powerful coalition.

Rob Archibald, Coolmore Australia's racing manager, was delighted that a plan two years in the making was on the verge of possible group 1 success at Flemington tomorrow.

"It all revolved around trying to develop stallions who will one day stand at Coolmore. Obviously, we have been a significant buyer (of stallions off the track), but they (John, M.V., and Tom Magnier) made a strong determination that there was an opportunity there to put a group together and try and develop them from yearlings into stallions," Archibald said yesterday.

"We like to have the best horses and we thought, in such a strong market, that we wanted to have more of a significant interest (by racing colts).

"Every single one was broken-in through the Coolmore system, so it's been a huge team effort all round."

Eleven of the 16 colts in the field—Gimmie Par is the sole filly in the race—are already owned by stud interests, with Coolmore's trio joined by Godolphin's homebreds Ingratiating, Kallos, and Paulele, while the China Horse Club-Newgate Farm syndicate possess race favorite In The Congo and Artorius.

Rosemont Stud took on a controlling interest in second favorite Extreme Warrior earlier this week, Cambridge Stud has the standing rights for Sword Of State and Aquis and Widden Stud share in the ownership of Bruckner.

Bookmakers suggest Home Affairs, a winner of the Iron Jack Silver Slipper Stakes (G2) at 2 who returned in the spring to win the Petaluma Heritage Stakes, is the best of Coolmore's chances of winning the race.

The Torryburn Stud-bred Home Affairs, who was purchased for AUS$875,000 (US$532,607) at last year's Inglis Easter sale, raced below the syndicate's lofty expectations in The Tab Everest Stakes Oct.16, but Archibald believes the valuable colt can bounce back.

"We were hoping Eduardo would come across us and we'd have something to follow, but we had no cover and eye-balling Nature Strip  as a 3-year-old in The Everest at your fifth start, it was a pretty big ask," Archibald said.

"He is a very talented horse and very fast. If he can just relax in the first part of the race, then he's certainly got the ability to be finishing late and going close in a race like that."

Ranch Hand, a pre-Christmas 2-year-old winner, and who, like Home Affairs, was a winner first-up as a 3-year-old in stakes company, as he surged late to land the Winning Edge Poseidon Stakes at Flemington in September.

Last start, the Turangga Farm-bred and sold Ranch Hand, a AUS$260,000 ($178,319) buy for Coolmore, was caught on the rail side of the Flemington straight when seventh in the VRC Members Danehill Stakes (G2) in a race in which the grandstand side runners filled the quinella.

"Ranch Hand has already had two runs down the straight and he had a jump-out last Friday and jockey Brett Prebble is very happy with the way he's going," Archibald reported.

"A strong 1,200 (meters) is going to suit a horse like him; he's very fit. In a group 1 of this caliber, you're going to need a bit of luck."

Minsk Moment, the least experienced of the Coolmore trio, won his first two starts either side of a spell before a  third place finish to Extreme Warrior in the Oct. 13 Catanachs Blue Sapphire Stakes (G3) at Caulfield; enough for Waller and the colt's owners to "roll the dice."

"He's a horse who will be better in the autumn; he's doing it all on raw ability," said Archibald.

Whether a group 1 win evades them tomorrow or not, Coolmore's relatively new venture appears here to stay.

They and their backers spent up again at the sales earlier this year with a crop of now-turned 2-year-olds and the Coolmore team will no doubt be pounding the pavement at Magic Millions, Karaka, and Inglis again next year in search of their next star colt.

"The Coolmore is the premium 3-year-old race of the year and we are grateful to Chris and his team and the partners in the syndicate and we are very proud to have three runners in the race," Archibald said.

"The ultimate goal of the syndicate is to buy them, develop them, and one day, hopefully, they are back at Coolmore standing at stud."