Vinery freshman Big Brown claimed his first-black in Australian on Saturday when Wroclaw was runner-up in the LR Dequettville Stakes (1000m) at Morphettville.
The Lloyd Kennewell trained filly flew home under Joe Bowditch to finish second to long-shot winner Oridane. Her closing 600 metres split was 33.77s.
“Take nothing away from the winner but our filly should have finished a lot closer,” Kennewell said. “She bombed the start and could have still won with a clear run in the straight. Joe had to grab a hold and reef her off the heels of I Am Gypsy who rolled in at the furlong.”
Wroclaw (2f Big Brown – Zuzela by Redoute’s Choice) has a couple of options before going out for a winter spell starting with the LR Queen Adelaide Stakes (1050m) on April 26. The G3 National Stakes (1200m) on May 10 is another suitable race during the carnival.
“I might even run her in both,” Kennewell said. “I’ve always rated this filly and she will be our three year-old for the spring.”
Kennewell has pencilled in the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11 as her Group 1 assigment.
Wroclaw is owned by Gerry Harvey and Perth based Santo Guagliardo who races under the Ridgeport Syndicate banner. She is the first foal of a winning Redoute’s Choice mare and cost $90,000 at the 2013 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
Second-dam Zastov (Zabeel) won 6 races and was Group 1 placed in the 1999 Epsom Hcp (to Allez Suez & Referral) and the 2000 Doncaster Mile (behind Over & Sunline).
Big Brown was the Champion Kentucky Derby winner of his generation and there have already been 7 stakes winners from his Kentucky base.
Yearlings from his second southern crop continue to make good money at the 2014 majors. They sold to $180,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions and $155,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale.
Kennewell is a Big Brown fan and, on what Wroclaw had shown in private, he went back to the Gold Coast Magic Millions this year and purchased another two Big Browns from Vinery.
The Prerequisite filly cost $125,000 and the Chakvetadze filly was worth $70,000. “They’re lovely types and are both back out in the paddock,” Kennewell said. “If all the Big Browns are like Wroclaw, I will keep going back to the well.”