Greta West Stud stallions Keep The Faith and God’s Own have come up trumps with two year-old doubles in the last week.
Keep The Faith commenced the winning run with Lindsay Park youngster Honey’s Steel Gold at Cranbourne and Mexborough Boy in Singapore.
God’s Own then came to the party with Mio Dio at Warrnambool on Sunday before his very promising first-starter Impulsive Spirit bolted in at Cranbourne on Thursday.
HONEY’S STEEL GOLD (2g Keep The Faith – Lunar Lights by Bianconi) caught connections by surprise with a fast-finishing victory against older horses in the Procon Developments Plate (1600m). “He’s a nice horse on the way up,” Hayes said before the race. “He’s a city class horse and will be at his best over 2000 metres.”
Hayes has taken the opportunity to bring the gelding to town for the LR Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington this Saturday.
Honey’s Steel Gold is a homebred for John Valmorbida and is the first foal of Lunar Lights who won her only race over 2010m at Wangaratta.
MEXBOROUGH BOY landed another juvenile win for Keep The Faith in Singapore last Friday night. He started a short-priced favourite after finishing third in the G2 Golden Horseshoe Final at Kranji in May.
“He’s still very green and was waiting for the others in the straight,” winning jockey Barent Vorster said. “I had to use the stick to get his mind back on the job.”
Mexborough Boy (2g Keep The Faith – Manzie De Lago by Encosta de Lago) changed hands for $31,000 out of the Basinghall Farm draft at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Autumn yearling sale.
Vorster believes Mexborough Boy is destined to win a decent race in Singapore. He is being set for the G3 Juvenile Championship on July 28.
God’s Own hasn’t stopped siring winners since he was transferred to Greta West in May. There have been 70 individual winners of 117 races in Australia this season including Tasmanian Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Inner Warrior.
MIO DIO made amends for a controversial defeat earlier this year in the Glam Girl Maiden (1200m) at Warrnambool. He was beaten nose at Ballarat in March after striking interference and being disappointed for a run. Katelyn Mallyon’s protest fell on deaf ears.
There were no traffic problems under Dean Yendell on Sunday – he ploughed through the Heavy 10 going to win by a length.
Mio Dio (2g God’s Own – Hageabi by Scenic) was also bred by Tas Reilly at Basinghall Farm and is from a half-sister to Emlozza (Encosta de Lago) who won G3 sprints at Caulfield and Cheltenham.
IMPULSIVE SPIRIT was the most impressive of the quartet when he won eased down at Cranbourne yesterday. He jumped straight to the front and gave Steven Arnold an armchair ride to score by four lengths on debut.
Impulsive Spirit (2g God’s Own – Esprit Magnifique by O’Reilly) is trained by Pat Carey for owner-breeder Bill Gurry. “He had impressed us at home and we were quietly confident,” Carey said. “He has plenty of raw ability and we’re very much looking forward to the future with him.”
Greta West will stand God’s Own (Redoute’s Choice) for a $5,500 (inc gst) fee this year. Keep The Faith (Sunday Silence) is available at $4,400 (inc gst). Studmaster Laurie McCarthy can be contacted on 0410 476 196.