BEST LIES AHEAD FOR ASTUTE NZ PURCHASE SACRED PALACE

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Sacred Palace, an impressive winner at Caulfield on Saturday (July 24), rounded out a meticulous plan drafted by Spicer Thoroughbreds, which purchased the three-year-old in early 2021 from New Zealand to target the winter months that form the back end of the Melbourne metropolitan season.

“We purchased him from Raffles Racing in New Zealand, who are great breeders and in fact raced Sacred Palace’s sire Sacred Falls, who was a dual winner of the Doncaster and Mile and a three-time Group 1 winner,” Brad Spicer said.

“He only had a handful of starts and showed good ability, but wasn’t switched right on in his races. He just needed the penny to drop. Trainer Lindsey Smith has done a great job working this boy out.

“It’s a real credit to that beach training set-up which has seen Sacred Palace improve all throughout his preparation. He’s been quite unlucky and could of easily won 4 races this prep, just his racing pattern has conspired against him.”

A get back, run-on type that really lends itself to needing clear running in the latter stages of a race, Sacred Palace illustrated his effectiveness when ridden that way at Caulfield by jockey Brett Prebble –content to cover ground so long as his mount could blend into the finish.

“He’s on an upward climb. He’s a really enjoyable ride, he travels strong and gives you a lovely kick when you want it,” Prebble, the beneficiary of regular rider Declan Bates’ suspension, said.

Spicer said Lindsey Smith will spell him now as he has had a long prep and get ready for his 4 year old season.

LEADING THROUGHOUT DOES THE TRICK FOR ZOUDINI

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STONE MOTHERLESS LAST TO FIRST SACRED PALACE IS NO COMMONER

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Sacred Palace, a private purchase out of New Zealand by Spicer Thoroughbreds, looks to have a very bright future in Australia after circling the field in the straight to win a Bench Mark 64 at Bendigo on July 1.

“He hasn’t had the best of luck in a handful of runs thus far, but he showed he has a great motor when he gets clear-running,” Brad Spicer said after the blistering performance.

“Credit where credit is due. After he failed to run out a strong 1300 last start, (trainer) Lindsey Smith freshened him and dropped back to 1100 metres. That was a masterstroke.”

Declan Bates rode him cold early before launching a barnstorming run down the outside to ecord an impressive win.

“We were quite happy for him to come back from the wide gate and unleash down the outside. He had to be good to win from where he was really. Hopefully the horse takes a bit of confidence from that,” Bates said.

A winner on debut at New Plymouth on New Zealand’s north island in October last year, the Bendigo triumph was Sacred Palace’s second in seven starts. The brown gelding is a son of two-time Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Falls.

Trainer Lindsey Smith will consider some races for three-year-olds in the metropolitan area in the run up to the end of the season on July 31 as good options for Sacred Palace.

The Bendigo victory triggered a run of success for Spicer Thoroughbreds and Smith. A winning hat-trick at Geelong the following day signaled the team havea big month ahead.

 

 

 

PRESS STATEMENT: IT’S NO LONGER CLASSIFIED WA DERBY WINNER’S GRAND-DAUGHTER HAS BRIGHT FUTURE

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Brad Spicer, of Spicer Thoroughbreds, has built a successful Bloodstock business by identifying hidden gems at yearling sales, the progeny of value stallions yet to have found their niche.

Spicer latched onto Choisir and put many clients into winners by the Australian sprinter-miler that pioneered the assault on the June meeting at Royal Ascot

It is early doors but Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement is shaping as the latest young sire to click with Spicer. Incredulous Dream registered a black-type success in April – the Nitschke Stakes at Morphettville her fourth win in 11 starts.

Fast forward to July 2 at Geelong and Spicer’s faith in Press Statement has not wavered with It’s Classfied breaking her maiden status at start three.

“She made up for her close second at Ballarat in June with a dominant win and prove to Lindsey Smith what he had thought all along … that she is a city class filly/mare in the making,” Spicer said.

Winning jockey Brett Prebble decided “to take luck out of the equation” from the wide barrier, camping three-wide without cover just off the leaders.

“She travelled sweet, she was the only one you wanted to be on at the 600 (metres). She was going to win a long way out,” Prebble said.

“She’s learning her trade but she’s a nice filly going forward.”

It’s Classified was an Inglis Gold purchase and she will prove to be a cheap buy in time, once she stretches out in distance which she is bred to do on her dam side.

“She will most likely head to a Bench Mark city grade fillies race next start and hopefully she can put a few wins together,” Spicer said.

It’s Classified is out of Encosta De Lago mare Kim Classic, who did all her racing in WA and was a four-time winner at Ascot, while her grandam Kim Angel was victorious in the Group 1 WA Derby – one of 12 wins from 32 starts.

 

LE DON DE VIE WINS WARNAMBOOL CUP

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There is no more joyous scene than that of a large group of owners reveling in a moment of sheer bliss, generated when their horse is triumphant.

Brad Spicer has experienced the euphoria associated with victories at all levels under his Spicer Thoroughbreds banner.  With an eclectic group of owners that have won Australia’s richest races, they celebrated success with imported galloper Le Don De Vie in the Warrnambool Cup earlier this month.

“It was great to be a part of a good group to win the Warrnambool Cup with our import Le Don De Vie.  He certainly showed his class, carrying topweight, and treated his rivals with contempt, clearing out for a stylish win,” Spicer said.

“He was originally purchased with a Royal Ascot start in mind during their 2020 carnival but when COVID-19 hit and racing shut down in England, he was rushed out to Oz. He was a terrific second at his Australian debut in the Geelong Cup.

“His impressive win has now earned him a trip north for the Queensland carnival and he has now passed the ballot for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, which could come on the agenda with some natural improvement.”

Le Don De Vie will have two starts including the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m) on the Queen’s Birthday weekend.

FREDERICK GETS GREATER

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When Frederick The Dane was placed in a Group 3 Blue Diamond Stakes lead-up on debut, there was reason for all associated with the gelding to be optimistic, even excited about what lay ahead.

If only it were that easy.

Frederick The Dane broke through for his first win at his fifth start and it be another five starts before he would taste victory again.

The speedy son of Danerich broke through for his long overdue second win at Cranbourne. After showing so much promise early on, the quirky type has taken quite a bit to work out.

A one-eyed blinker coupled with the drop back in distance did the trick, seeing him back in the winner’s circle over 1000 metres in a Bench Mark 64 event.

Ben Hayes had indicated that he was ready to move into the doghouse if he couldn’t get ‘Fred’ back winning due to the pressure applied by the No.1 ticket holder. Racing.com’s Grace Ramage, Ben’s partner in life, is part of the ownership group along with his mother Prue.

Experimenting with blinkers, headgear worn by horses featuring a cup over each eye to restrict peripheral vision, can have a positive impact. However, the Hayes family – from patriarch Colin, to David and brother Peter – have used a one-eyed blinker to great effect.

Every horse is an individual and it is a matter of establishing what helps them to focus on the task at hand. So far so good,

Frederick The Dane will most likely head back to Cranbourne in a couple of weeks for another suitable 1000 metre race, which should set up well for him.

DEBUT WIN HAS THIS BOY GOING SOUTH OF THE YARRA IN SEARCH OF THE CHOCOLATES ON EASTER MONDAY

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Yarra Boy, an astute purchase from across the Tasman, reaped a quick return for his owners at Ballarat and will be elevated to metropolitan midweek competition at Sandown on April 5.

“It was terrific to see our private purchase off the New Zealand trials do what we had hoped, plug straight into the Lindsey Smith training regime and go bang at his first start,” an exuberant Brad Spicer said.

“He’s only been in Australia for around six to seven weeks and the team have done a great job to get him winning at his first time out.”

Champion jockey Damien Oliver, who had a tremendous affinity with Spicer Thoroughbreds’ favourite Commanding Jewel, joined forces with Yarra Boy and was glowing in his praise.

“It was great to see one of the all-time greats do the steering and that might have made the difference in a hard slog to the line on a very heavy track,” Spicer said.

“He is a horse with a great deal of ability and I am sure when he gets to 1400m and further he will be even more prolific. Ollie said he will have no trouble going through his grades.”

FILLY BOUND FOR ADELAIDE AFTER DREAM RETURN

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Spicer Thoroughbreds’ success story, Incredulous Dream, continued to grow her reputation with a first-up win at the Mornington Cup meeting.

Incredulous Dream stretched her record to three wins from seven starts when she got the better of Garvoc in a Bench Mark 70 for fillies and mares.

The grey daughter of Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement overcame an incident in the barrier stalls, quickly regrouping and winning in quick time – much to the delight of connections who gathered to cheer her home.

WATCH REPLAY:

“It was a very nervous wait for our girl to pass a vet inspection pre-race after becoming fractious in the gates, but all’s well that ends well,” Brad Spicer said.

“Within a few minutes later she had kicked off her campaign with an impressive win over what we think is a little short of her best. Jye McNeil had he is a good position just in behind the speed and made the move to attack at the right time on what can be a tricky track.”

The win, which bolstered the three-year-old’s career earnings to just shy of $140,000, sets Incredulous Dream up for a crack at some black type races over the Adelaide Carnival, commencing in April and spilling over into May.

“It’s great for her to come out and really assert herself as a high-class filly as that franks the opinion I had of her way back at the Magic Millions sale when I described her as the filly of the sale,” Spicer said.