As the race for Champion First Season Sire winners heats up, Kia Ora Stud’s Farnan continues to rack up the winners, adding a midweek victory at Hawkesbury Race Club from Grand Eagle to bring his total to eight.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the colt was having his third start and was a dominant winner with a 1.29l victory in the first race on the card, overcoming the Tulloch Lodge-trained pair of Headbanger (Capitalist) and Chicama (Written Tycoon). Travelling near the rear of the field around the home turn, jockey Nash Rawiller spotted a gap emerge beside a flagging Sponars (Lucky Vega {Ire}) and launched the colt through it, catapulting him to the front within the final furlong to victory.
A $300,000 purchase for George Moore Bloodstock at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Grand Eagle more than made up for his “disappointing” debut second and fourth placing at his second start, and co-trainer Alexiou was pleased with the improvement.
“We probably tried to force a win with him the other day (at his second start),” Alexiou said. “We put blinkers on him and probably rode him outside his comfort zone, and he just weakened out in what’s probably been a really good form race.”
It was a race won by Buffalo (Written By), who ran third in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at the weekend, followed in by Hay Street (Capitalist), who was fourth in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes – so Grand Eagle’s performance on Wednesday just continues to frank that form.
“We went back to the drawing board today and let him find his feet,” Alexiou continued. “And he traveled really well, balanced well and produced a really good turn of foot when asked.”
If he remains in work, the 1100-metre 2-year-old handicap at Randwick on April 26 beckons for Grand Eagle, but Alexiou has Group aspirations for the colt in the spring.
“He’s got genuine stakes ability,” he said. “And I’m sure he’ll come back a much more seasoned professional horse.”
Ryan and Alexiou have had plenty of good fortune with the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner’s first crop, also being the trainers of G3 Black Opal Stakes winner King Of Pop, whose “terrific prep” was capped off with a gallant second in the Kindergarten at the weekend, just behind his paternal brother North England.
“Me and Gerald have been impressed with what we’ve seen in the breed so far,” Alexiou said. “Like the other Farnans we have, Grand Eagle is very straightforward, great attitude, great doer. Very easy to do anything with.
“The Farnans, they’re easy to train and they like to please everyone. It makes everyone’s job a lot easier.”
Someone else who was pleased with the result was Valiant Stud’s Fergal Connolly, who bred Grand Eagle in partnership with clients. He has had a lot of good fortune himself with progeny of Farnan; at the same sale as Grand Eagle, he was also the consignor of North England on behalf of breeders Zhongli Thoroughbreds.
“It’s nice to get a sales ring result, but to see them do it on the track, that’s the proudest moment of your life.” – Fergal Connolly
“I have the mare with good clients, Lloyd Walker and Joe Motherway,” Connolly described Grand Eagle’s dam Sauvignon (Pierro), who is closely related to G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy (Fastnet Rock). “She’s a beautiful, scopey Pierro mare with a deep pedigree, why wouldn’t you send her to the best 2-year-old of his season?”
It’s been a match made in heaven, with the mare producing a full sister to Grand Eagle in the spring before visiting Anamoe.
“To breed a racehorse, you always try to emulate the stallion, don’t you?,” Connolly said. “He did everything you want in a stallion as a 2-year-old.
“It’s great that he got the support early and that makes a difference. His types are obviously very much in the mold that you would expect for a 2-year-old.
“(His performance) should be expected, he was the fastest 2-year-old of his year, he danced every dance in the lead up to the Slipper. So tough. Gai (Waterhouse) and Adrian (Bott) did an outstanding job with him, and he’s obviously imparting that into his stock now. It’s nice to be in at the beginning on a stallion who looks like he’s going to make it.”
North England was a $280,000 purchase for China Horse Club and partners, but for Connolly, seeing the results on the track is far more important than a good sale result.
“On the track is where you’re measured,” he said. “It’s nice to get a sales ring result, but to see them do it on the track, that’s the proudest moment of your life.”
Article c/o TTR Aus & NZ
