IT became the fourth win for leading Newcastle conditioner Kris Lees when Kinloch stuck his head out to take the $500,000 Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championship Final at Randwick last Saturday.
In a blanket finish and starting from the outside barrier of 16, the Nash Rawiller ridden Kinloch had to fight hard to defeat the Tracey Bartley, Wyong, trained Kiss Sum (by Shamus Award), while third and fourth were also Lees trained - French Marine (Epaulette) and Rustic Steel (Deep Field), respectively.
"Having seven runners (in the Provincial-Midway Final) everyone expects you to win, but I was worried about Great News (fifth) and Kiss Sum, they are very good horses," said a happy Lees after the win.
Lees had previously won this event with Danish Twist (2016), Serene Miss (2018), and Cristal Breeze (2021).
A new feature winner for Yarraman Park's all-conquering I Am Invincible, Kinloch was a $300,000 graduate of New Zealand's Karaka Yearling Sale, and has now doubled this figure in prizemoney.
Due to continuing wet weather in Sydney, it was amazing the Randwick meet went ahead racing on a "heavy 10", but this was loved by the "mudlarks".
However, Nash Rawiller found "better going" when he steered mighty gelding Think It Over to the outside of the track to snatch victory in the day's highlight $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes-G1.
It was one of the most exciting finishes, the So You Think gelding coming from behind to overhaul the runaway leader and GB bred race favourite, Zaaki, by a half-length.
Australian Horse Of The Year and Australian and Melbourne Cups winner Verry Elleegant did not enjoy the bog-conditions and finished fifth.
The time-honoured Star Australian Oaks - first run in 1885, was taken by Melbourne trained El Patroness, the filly becoming the latest Group 1 winner by Snitzel stallion Shamus Award, which stands at Rosemount Stud, Victoria.
Easter brilliance
COOLMORE Stud's Tom Magnier went on a shopping spree at the time-honoured Australian Easter Yearling Sale when the Australian based global Thoroughbred player shelled out $10.3 million when buying six seven-figure-lots at the Inglis conducted prestigious annual auction at Warwick Farm last week.
These included the sale's $3m top for the brother to Sunlight (by Zoustar, from Charge Forward mare Solar Charged) sold via his breeders Widden Stud, Widden Valley.
The $3m top became the equal-third highest yearling ever sold in the southern hemisphere and most expensive in nine years.
The second top priced yearling also went Coolmore's way for the colt from Arrowfield Stud's draft by its champion sire Snitzel, from Response for $2.25m, the youngster being a brother to stakes siblings Estijaab (Golden Slipper winner, and 2017 $1.7m Easter yearling graduate) and current galloper Remarque.
Buyers spent a massive $151.325m on the 372 sold yearlings for a hefty $406,700 average, which compares to 356 sold for a $371,200 average for gross sales of $132.1m at last year's auction.
Arrowfield also offered the sale's third top at $2.2m, and top priced filly - by Snitzel and the first foal of Melbourne Group 1 winner Silent Sedition, selling to Hawkes Racing.
The fourth $2m plus lot was a grey filly by I Am Invincible, from Pinocchio, a half-sister to The Everest winner Classique Legend (by Not A Single Doubt), which sold via the Monds family's Tyreel Stud, selling to Mitchell Bloodstock on behalf of The Yellow Brick Road Company's Phillip Visalli. A total of 20 horses sold for $1m or more, compared to 22 at last year's sale.
Equestrian million
RACING NSW will be launching an equestrian event for retired Thoroughbred racehorses with a minimum $1m in prizemoney - named Equimillion.
The event will showcase the versatility of Thoroughbreds for careers outside racing with the inaugural program scheduled for the October long-weekend in 2023. The competition will include eventing, show-jumping, dressage, and showing, with a focus on amateur competitors. Ahead of the event RNSW will host an auction for recently retired Thoroughbred racehorses, with horses being purchased at the sale being eligible to compete at Equimillion.
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