Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott couldn’t be on track as Major Beel pulled off an Australian Derby boilover in good old Tulloch Lodge fashion by being the strongest and toughest on deep Randwick ground on Saturday.
It has been the missing Sydney major for Waterhouse and the Classic her famous father TJSmith won nine times.
Tim Clark lifts Major Beel over the line in the Australian Derby.Credit:Getty
The queen of Australian racing doesn’t get to the races these days and watched from home. She has ticked off the Sydney’s oldest classic, leaving only newly promoted races the Winx Stakes and the Surround Stakes for her to complete the set of every group 1 in the harbour city.
“That was just fabulous, Iwatched with two of my best friends here,” Waterhouse said.
“I was watching and saying he is in the death seat, an old trotting term for being outside the leader, how is he going to keep going? Then Tim [Clark] went back to the fence but he kept going.
“It was an old bone and muscle effort, that’s what it was. We knew he tough, but he was super tough.
“Absolutely amazing to get that win in a Derby and very special.”
Bott couldn’t be trackside as his sister was getting married.
“I stepped out of the ceremony and we won the Derby, so beautiful,” Bott said.
At the top of the straight Major Beel ($31) had found the front and Clark kept him going to win by three-quarters of a length from Virtuous Circle ($19), with Suizuro ($41)the same margin away in third.
Two easy for Waller
Chris Waller is in line for the two-year-old triple crown after Militarize stormed away with the Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick.
While Shinzo was winning the Golden Slipper, Militarize was lucky to stay on his feet and was almost pulled up. He came to Randwick as a $21 outsider but with a dash of stable confidence.
The Dundeel colt travelled through the ground and when Hong Kong star Joao Moreira asked him to go he put 3 lengths on Don Corleone ($7.50) with Pier Pressure ($151) running into third.
“We’ve been going OK without them,” Waller said of two-year-olds. “It’s always a talking point for people and actually it probably makes us a little more accessible to the really fast two-year-olds because often owners would buy a portfolio of horses and they’ll say, ‘we’ll give Chris the ones that need a bit of time’.”
Newgate Farm boss Henry Field paid $550,000 for Militarize with an eye to being a three-year-old type.
“It is from a very deep family; usually we just buy fast horses, but on type we just had to him and he is a Sires winner,” Field said.
Western wonder Sizzle Minizzle king of the county
Dubbo trainer Brett Robb gave the Western district its first Country Championships as Sizzle Minizzle surprised him handling the heavy track at Randwick.
Sam Clipperton drove the Sizzling three-year-old through near the inside to beat a game Talbragar by two lengths, with I’ve Been Tryin’ making up many lengths for third.
Robb has been one of the best strike-rate trainerd in the state and came with a hard-fit horse.
“I was getting real nervous then because I didn’t think he could handle the wet,” Robb said. “He just showed he can.”
Ellen Hennessy, who ran third on I’ve Bean Tryin’, was given a two-week suspension for using the whip 12 times before the 100m mark.
Moreira to look for a cup with Surefire
Star jockey Joao Moreira said he wanted to build associations with horses in Sydney and his first winner on this stay, Surefire in Saturday’s Chairman’s Handicap, might offer that chance in a group 1 in next week’s Sydney Cup.
Moreira found the same ground as the first two winners as Surefire
($17) had a short neck to spare from Gin Martini ($7.50), with last year’s winner Nerve Not Verve ($8) a head away in third. It was Surefire’s fourth win on a wet track.
“He pretty much enjoyed the conditions, which not many horses would be able to do that. He travelled very nice and smooth through the race,” Moreira said. “When I got into the straight I just stayed on the inside, got a gap in there.
“It looks like he got in front a little too early, started looking around a little bit in the last furlong, but he was always going to be the strongest to the line.
“I don’t see any problem [with the two miles]. He seems to be a real stayer and I presume the connections are going to give him his chance.”
Arts shoots into Oaks contention
Edward Cummings has another Australian Oaks contender after Arts ($26) revelled in the heavy ground and scored a devastating Adrian Knox Stakes victory at her third start.
Arts, which won on debut in a Kembla maiden on February 23, was the last horse to come off the bridle when a couple of lengths off the leaders at the 250m mark and raced away to score by 4¼ lengths from Mountain Guest ($31) and Premise ($9).
“She’s just gone from strength to strength. What you see today is a raw filly,” Cummings said. “She is arguably if not certainly the most lightly raced horse in the field and we are very excited about what she can possibly do.”
Sam Clipperton was surprised by the turn of foot from Art, which has been wound in from $101 to $8 for next’s Australian Oaks.
“She went like she was shot out of a cannon. Provided she pulls up well through the week, I’m sure she’ll be very competitive next week,” he said.
Libertad steps up in the Kindergarten
The Brisbane carnival beckons for Libertad after he kept his unbeaten record with a fighting win in the Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
The son of Russian Revolution jumped from a maiden win on Randwick’s Kensington track to a group 3 and fought back to beat Saltaire after being clearly headed into the furlong marker.
“I must be honest I was a little bit concerned about the track after he won on a good track on debut, but he handled it really well, jockey Chad Schofield said. “He jumped nice and held a prominent position. The second horse [Saltaire] quickened a bit sharper and put a margin on us, but to my guy’s credit he came through his gears nice and he was strong late.”
Libertad and Saltaire put 3¾ lengths on Golden Gift winner Barber and both look to have good futures.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
