Ardrossan strikes stakes blow in Australia
Exciting young stallion Ardrossan has made his mark across the Tasman with a first success at black type level.
The Waikato Stud resident’s son Beau Dazzler successfully rose to the challenge at Eagle Farm to claim top honours in the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes at Eagle Farm off the back of a debut second.
He settled at the back of a small field and, despite racing greenly in the straight, proved superior in the run home.
“I don’t think you’ll find a horse that will try to get himself beaten as much as he did then,” said Maddysen Sears, who trains in partnership with her father, Tony.
“We never expected him to race this early, to be honest. He surprised us, but I think he’s got a bright future when he started thinking about being a racehorse.”
Beau Dazzler was offered by Mapperley Stud in Book 2 of Karaka 2023, where he was purchased for $85,000 by Paul Moroney Bloodstock, Catheryne Bruggeman and Sears Racing.
The Phelan Ready Stakes is often used as a stepping stone toward the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast a month later, but this year’s edition has the potential to be a springboard to a very different race.
Beau Dazzler will make the field for the Karaka Millions 2YO at Ellerslie on January 27, and the colt’s trainers have indicated that they are open to the possibility of making the trans-Tasman trip.
Wolfy reacts well to change
A tactical change by trainer Nicky Ryan saw Tivaci’s son, Wolfy, triumph at Flemington on Saturday. Dropping back to 1200 metres with blinkers applied, the Waikato Stud-bred four-year-old stormed to victory under Ethan Brown, showcasing a powerful finish to secure his third career win.
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