Breeder Chris Lawler hopes Global Ausbred can fulfil a destiny seven years in the making in the January Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
The genesis of the Global Ausbred story was Hong Kong’s International day in 2015, when Lawler went over to watch Able Friend, a son of Shamardal that he bred out of his mare Ponte Piccolo and sold for $550,000 at the 2011 Easter Sale.
Global Ausbred can trace his origins back to two stars of the turf at the Hong Kong International meeting in 2015.Credit:Ashlea Brennan
It wasn’t Able Friend’s day in the Hong Kong Mile, but Lawler knew why after seeing a Japanese adonis march into the parade ring.
“I was there for Able Friend but the first horse into the mounting enclosure was Maurice,” Lawler recalled. “He took my breath away and I said to my wife straight away, ‘how is anything going to beat this horse’.
“He was an amazing horse and he proved that.”
Maurice won six group 1s – three in Japan and three Hong Kong. The Mile was his first victory in the racing mecca. Able Friend finised his career with four group 1s and also a trip to Royal Ascot.
“From that day, I started thinking how am I going to get mares to Japan to send to Maurice, and then Arrowfield advertised him as coming to Australia and I think we were the first ones in,” Lawler continued.
“Global Ausbred is the horse we bred from Ponte Piccolo; he dates back to that trip.”
The four-year-old has been a bit of a project for trainer Brad Widdup, winning four of his 14 starts and running midfield in the Queensland Derby last year. He strengthened his reputation as a handy type when running fourth in the Silver Eagle behind Vilana at the beginnning of this preparation.
He continues to mature into a quality stayer and chalked up a city win when he won over 1800m at Randwick and then had little luck over 2000m in the Summer Cup.
“He has had a great preparation and we have got him through these stakes races and he is up to them,” Widdup said. “He just had no luck last time, being caught wide but kept coming.
“He has a good draw on Saturday and the rain won’t worry him.”
Lawler knows the best is yet to come from Global Ausbred but expects him to be in the firing line at Rosehill.
“I’m hoping he can get that bit of black type on the weekend. We still think he has got a fair bit of development left in him,” Lawler said. “He is a momentum horse and likes to go forward, so I think we will ride him like that on the weekend.
“The more rain we get, the better his chances will be. He is a big horse, like Maurice, but very light on his feet, so he seems to skim across the ground.”
Lawler has not only bred to Maurice but has also bought his stock, including Ausbred Flirt for $115,000 which will also appear at Rosehill on Saturday.
“Ausbred Flirt has taken a while to develop, but we have given her the time that looks like it is what the Maurice breed need,” Lawler said. “They need time and also need a bit of ground, and she is showing the benefit of it.
“She is a nice prospect.”
After a couple of easy wins at Kembla Grange, Ausbred Flirt was run down in the shadows of the post by Estadio Mestalla at Randwick on Christmas Eve, but Widdup is monitoring the weather for Ausbred Flirt.
“She needs the track firm, so it will come down to how much rain they get at Rosehill,” Widdup said. “There are couple of good races for her coming up, so we could wait a week with her.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
