Gift horse In Memoriam gave Ilala Stud sire Honor In War his first winner at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

In Memoriam (3g Honor In War – Gacha by More Than Ready) won the Old Southportonians Maiden (1100m) by a half-length.  The Peter Balzen trained gelding came from midfield to cause a $21 surprise on debut.

In Memoriam was passed-in when offered for sale at the 2011 Peter Milling Dubbo yearling sale.  “His breeder offered me the horse for nothing to see what I could do with him,’’ Balzen said.  “I thought he would race well enough but he still has a lot more strengthening up to do.”

The Gold Coast winner is the first foal of unraced mare Gacha who hasn’t been covered since.  The dam is from a half-sister to Flemington stakes winner Dama De Noche (Snippets).

Honor In War (Lord At War) retired to Scone based Ilala Stud in 2008.  He was a G1 winner of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (1800m) at Churchill Downs and the G2 Villiers Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on protest from Takeover Target.

USA bred Honor In War stood for an $11,000 fee first-up but that gradually dropped to $1,100 this year.

– Karl Patterson