There are nights that remind breeders why they do what they do.
Saturday night’s Australian Pacing Gold Finals at Menangle was one of those nights.
By the end of the program, Cobbitty Equine Farm stallions had produced the winner, second and third placegetter in the $100,000 APG 2YO Fillies Final, while also siring the winner and third placegetter in the $100,000 APG 2YO Colts & Geldings Final.
Five podium finishers across two of the biggest juvenile races of the season was an extraordinary result, but the stories behind those performances made the evening even more memorable.
The first major moment came in the Fillies Final, where Swinging Queen delivered a breakthrough feature victory for first-crop sire King Of Swing.
In a thrilling finish, the talented filly lunged at the right moment to claim the richest victory of her young career and hand King Of Swing his first major juvenile feature winner.
The victory was also a career-defining moment for young reinswoman Zara Fitzpatrick, who celebrated the biggest success of her driving career.
Trained by her father Blake Fitzpatrick and part-owned by her mother Lisa, the victory carried special significance for the entire Fitzpatrick family.
It was also a richly deserved result for breeders Rikki and Dean Cernovskis and Johnny and Lesley O’Sullivan, long-time supporters of Cobbitty Equine Farm and passionate participants in the sport. Bred from their Somebeachsomewhere mare Match Point Serena, Swinging Queen victory is all the more special for the families behind her. Few victories are more satisfying than seeing dedicated breeders achieve success at the highest level, and Saturday night’s result was one they thoroughly deserved.
For King Of Swing, the result represented another important milestone in what is shaping as a very promising stud career. To produce finalists in both APG divisions from his first crop was notable; to leave an APG Final winner elevated the achievement to another level.
If that wasn’t enough, fellow Cobbitty Equine Farm stallions completed a remarkable trifecta in the race.
Sophies Wish, by Bettors Wish, chased home the winner in second, while Peachesncream, by Ultimate Machete, fought on gamely for third.
A clean sweep of the podium by Cobbitty Equine stallions in a $100,000 APG Final is a result few studs experience.
Later in the evening, proven sire Huntsville, Australia’s leading 2YO sire, once again stamped his authority on the juvenile ranks.
His outstanding son Don Hunter produced a performance full of class and professionalism to capture the APG 2YO Colts & Geldings Final, giving Huntsville another major two-year-old feature winner this season.
Owned by Tony Licastro and Friends, Don Hunter delivered when it mattered most, stopping the clock in a slick 1:53.4 mile rate and sprinting home in a blistering 26.4-second final quarter, winning by 9.10 metres
Already regarded as one of the most exciting youngsters of his crop, Don Hunter backed up his Prelude victory with another dominant Grand Final performance, further cementing his status as one of the season’s standout two-year-olds.
The result was particularly rewarding for breeders Phil and Denise Thurston of Celestial Standardbreds.Adding further merit to their achievement was the presence of fellow finalist Lochinvar Jazz, a son of King Of Swing who was also bred by the Thurstons.
The Colts & Geldings Final also produced another podium finish for a Cobbitty Equine Farm stallion, with Wicked Motion, by McWicked, running an outstanding third.
Beyond the statistics, the night was about breeders, owners, trainers and drivers sharing in the rewards that come from years of planning, patience and belief.
For King Of Swing, Huntsville, Bettors Wish, Ultimate Machete and McWicked, it was a night that showcased the strength of the Cobbitty Equine Farm stallion roster.
Congratulations to all connections involved, and thank you to all the breeders who continue putting their faith in our stallion roster.
