It was a Farnan quinella in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes at Canberra yesterday with the unbeaten King Of Pop putting himself into hot Golden Slipper contention when he edged out Farcited to claim the win in a new track record time.
King Of Pop (ex Za Zi Ba), one of a remarkable four Farnan runners in the race, has now given his Golden Slipper-winning sire his first stakes winner following $1 million Golden Gift winner North England’s placing in the Group 3 ATC Breeders’ Plate.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the colt showed plenty of precocious speed in a performance that emulated his sire’s explosive turn of foot with Zac Lloyd in the saddle.
“The horse has been ticking over really good and taking his time, it’ll be great if he can get into the Golden Slipper,” Gerald Ryan said.
“Mick Malone from North raved on to me about him ever since he was a foal.”
Post race, jockey Lloyd was very positive about the $800,000 colt — Farnan’s second highest priced yearling after the aforementioned Farcited.
“He was great, really impressive,” Lloyd said.
“The leader (Farcited) won the preview here really well and we knew he could sustain a strong gallop. My bloke was very sharp, executed the race as we’d hoped and got to the leader really well.
“He’s still learning his craft but he’s a really nice horse moving forward.”
Farcited (ex I Am Excited) was a third of a length behind him at the post with the $1.2 million colt also putting in an impressive run, adding a second stakes placing to Farnan’s ledger.
King Of Pop is the second foal of stakes placed Za Zi Ba, a half-sister to Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner Redeiner and Listed winner Rathlin. She is out of Weiner, a stakes-placed half-sister to Champion sire Snitzel.
Farcited is the second foal from Group 1 Galaxy winner I Am Excited and is from a family including Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Commanding Jewel, and four-time Group 1 winner and Champion Australian Filly and Champion Australian Older Mare Atlantic Jewel, herself the dam of Hong Kong Champion Russian Emperor.
Farnan has now recorded six wins and eight placings as sire and his progeny don’t look to be slowing down with son, Nanotaq (ex Taqaseem) claiming a dominant trial win earlier in the week, blowing them away by an impressive 3.3 lengths.
Farnan has 11 yearlings catalogued at Inglis Easter in April and his second crop have been highly sought after this season, selling for an average of $158,849 with a top price of $750,000.
King Of Pop’s success was the cherry on top of an incredible week for Kia Ora Stud, who in addition to resident sire Farnan’s triumph, also share in the ownership of unbeaten colt, Return To Conquer, who took out the Group 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday.
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