For the first time, the opening session of the Inglis Classic sale was staged after racing at Randwick, and Twist Tops (Aus) (Beneteau {Aus}) was the winner of the card's feature race, the A$250,000 Inglis Classic, restricted to graduates of the aforementioned sale. Twist Tops was a A$70,000 RNA a year ago and is trained by Kris Lees for a large partnership of owners.
“It is great to win today for some great people so I really am excited. It is terrific for everyone involved,” said Lees, who was winning his second Inglis Classic after scoring with subsequent Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Absolutelyfabulous (Aus) (Langfuhr) in 2006.
“It would be amazing if this filly was another Absolutelyfabulous,” Lees added.
Twist Tops becomes the sixth filly to win the Inglis Classic in the last seven years, with other victresses including Group 1 winner Peggy Jean (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Pane In The Glass (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}).
Group 3 winner and G1 Blue Diamond S.-third Beneteau (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) sired only two crops at Arrowfield Stud before dying in January 2013. He has proven a big loss to the industry as champion first-season sire in 2014/15, and currently sits fourth on the second-season sire table.
Across the country at Caulfield, Valliano (Aus) (Equiano {Fr}) won the Restricted Listed Inglis Premier S. for Inglis select sale graduates. He becomes the first Australian stakes winner for his sire, who shuttles to Victoria's Swettenham Stud.
Pride Of Dubai Beaten On Return…
Three-year-olds took a turn in the G3 Eskimo Prince S. at Randwick, and Arrowfield's Spill The Beans (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), a A$60,000 buyback at Inglis Classic, emerged with his first black-type win. The major disappointment of the race was last year's G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Sires's Produce S. victor Pride Of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), who beat one home in 10th. Pride Of Dubai's Jockey Hugh Bowman said, “Certainly we expected more, despite coming into the race thinking he's going to need it. [He was] a bit fresh and keen in the run but he was disappointing.”
A Clear-Cut Diamond Choice…
One of Australia's major 2-year-old showpieces, the G1 Blue Diamond S., is fast approaching Feb. 27, and Extreme Choice (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) reaffirmed himself as the clear-cut choice for the A$1.5 million contest when scoring a facile victory for trainer Mick Price and his large partnership of owners in Caulfield's G3 Chairman's S. Saturday. A two-length debut winner at Randwick Dec. 12, Extreme Choice broke fast from his wide barrier Saturday and emerged the leader down the backstretch. Two lengths in front at the top of the stretch, the chestnut drew clear under a Damien Oliver handride, with the jockey taking a few glances over his shoulder before wrapping his mount up approaching the line 4 1/2 lengths the best. After the race, trainer Mick Price was drawing comparisons to his 2012 G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Samaready (Aus) (More Than Ready).
“He reminds me very much of Samaready, as in being a natural,” Price said. “We think he's going to be a red-hot chance in the [Blue Diamond] for sure.”
Extreme Choice certainly is a red-hot chance three weeks out, sitting at 2-1 in the betting with his next closest pursuer, G3 Canonbury S. second Defcon (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), at 8-1.
Extreme Choice was a A$100,000 buy at Inglis Classic last year, making it a good day for graduates of that sale across the country. Not A Single Doubt stands at Arrowfield Stud for A$33,000 and is currently second only to Street Cry (Ire) on the general sire table, and is the country's leading sire of 3-year-olds. His daughter Miracles Of Life (Aus) won the Blue Diamond three years ago.
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