Johnny Wallace made headlines after Shoot Out nailed a Group 2 at Randwick last Saturday but the likeable Gold Coast trainer was just as happy to put the spotlight on stablemate Heavens Own who opened her account at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
Heavens Own won the Good Guys Maiden Plate (1200m) to give God’s Own his first winner. The Eliza Park / Yallambee Stud stallion is the latest freshman sire by Redoute’s Choice to notch that milestone this season.
“Heavens Own is all ticker,” Wallace said when reviewing the weekend results yesterday. “There’s not much of her but she doesn’t know how to lie down. I think she will get a mile and will keep improving as a three year-old.”
Wallace only heard good things about God’s Own while he was in Sydney overseeing Shoot’s Out preparation for the Royal Sovereign Stakes. “Everyone I bumped into down there really likes them. They are good-natured horses and so is my filly.”
Heavens Own (2f God’s Own – Western Cent by Best Western) pulled up a treat after winning her maiden and Wallace will head to town in two or three weeks. Her dam won five races in NSW and Queensland and at stud she has thrown winners by Success Express, Desert King, Langfuhr and Distant Music (2).
Bingham was her first Distant Music winner and he was also runner-up to flying filly I Got Chills in the 2005 VRC Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington.
Yallambee Stud’s Peter and Rick Woodard head the syndicate that purchased God’s Own and they have catalogued 18 second crop yearlings for the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale starting on March 1.
The brothers are confident God’s Own will make the grade and Peter Woodard reiterates the comments made by Johnny Wallace. “Everyone who bought a God’s Own in 2009 is backing up for more this year,” he explained. “Gai is very keen and Bart paid $100,000 for another God’s Own at Karaka earlier this month.
“They are colour dominant with plenty of bone and, as Gai said, there’s plenty in Redoute’s Choice in them.
God’s Own was trained by Bart and will always be remembered for his astounding victory in the 2005 G1 Caulfield Guineas when he got up off the canvas twice to emulate his own sire who defeated Testa Rossa in another classic edition of the race in 1999.
The following autumn, God’s Own ran champion sprinter Takeover Target to a short-neck in the G1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington. The straight sprint is another stallion-making race with Testa Ross and Fastnet Rock among its recent winners while General Nediym, Zeditave and the Bart Cummings trained Century are also on the honour-roll.
Woodard picked four lots out of the Yallambee draft that will be popular with prospective buyers at Oaklands Junction:
Lot 110 is a filly from the Encosta de Lago mare Dream The Dream who was a G2 winner of the South Australian Oaks.
Lot 353 is a cracking colt out of Adelaide Listed winner Rather Grande. The dam is a half-sister to Testa Rossa filly Sublimity who was a 3yo Listed winner at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day last year.
Lot 496 is an outstanding colt from Vincitrice, a winning half-sister to the dam of G1 SAJC Robert Sangster winner Bel Mer.
Lot 538 is a half-sister to five winners including Adelaide stayer Youths Edge. There’s a heavenly cross through her second dam God’s Girl who is the dam Chatswood Stud’s G1 racehorse and sire Racer’s Edge.
“God’s Own is throwing real good doers,” Woodard said. “All the trainers I’ve spoken to reckon they’re a pleasure to work with.
“We had to come up with some serious money to bring him to Victoria. Bart and Dato Tan Chin Nam still retain a significant share in the horse.”
Cummings believes Victoria has grasped a golden opportunity with God’s Own. “He is the most impressive stallion prospect that I’ve ever been associated with,” Cummings said when the colt was retired after just 10 starts.
“God’s Own is by Australia’s dominant sire and possessed an exceptional turn-of-foot. He is a cracking type and has everything you look for in a stallion.”