Let’s face it, we would all like to race a Winx, but horses like her only come along once every dark blue moon.

That said, how much fun would it be to have a share in a galloper like Saturday’s Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes winner Rebel King?

The Perth based 7yo was stepping out for the 42nd time in the Idyllic Prince and, much to the (boisterous) delight of his large band of owners, Rebel King won his 11th race: the third at black type level.  You can throw in 14 placings, too.

Actually, it was looking like it might have been 15 placings in the shadows of the post with a rapidly looming Man Booker appearing he might get the verdict, but Aushorse reported Rebel King held on gamely to prevail by a whisker.  Great theatre!  Straight after the race, jockey, Mitchell Pateman, admitted his horse was “getting pretty weary in those last few strides”, but is “all heart”.

The Idyllic Prince now takes Rebel King’s earnings to $793,275 which is a pretty good yield for a horse that was sold for just $40,000 at the 2013 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

Fortunately for breeder and leading Perth trainer, Darren McAuliffe, he retained a share and the horse remained at his Impressive Racing stables.

Promptly syndicated among a couple of families and friends, the ownership group didn’t have to long to wait.  Racing as an autumn 2yo, Rebel King finished third on debut, then eighth but, after a short let up, peeled off four straight at Belmont – beating subsequent Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner Sheidel in the last of the quartet, while lumping 60kgs.

Rebel King would win the first of his black types – the H G Bolton – at three, while the second stakes victory came earlier this year via the Scenic Blast.  Rather ominously though, McAuliffe believes Rebel King “the best he’s been for a couple of years”.

According to the stable, Rebel King will now likely to be aimed at the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot on 1 December.

Meanwhile, Rebel King hails from the first crop of Scenic Lodge’s Universal Ruler, a four-time stakes winning son of Scenic, whose other stakes winners include 2018 black type victors, Abdicator and Lady Cosmology.

Somewhat fittingly, McAuliffe also trained Universal Ruler.  He’s a third-generation trainer who hung out his shingle 17 years ago, has around 30 in work near Lark Hill, while Impressive Racing breeds from 30 broodmares annually.

Hailing from the Falbrav mare, Rebel Sister, Rebel King is a half brother to Perth stakes winner, Rebelson, while the dam is a half sister to the brilliant Black Heart Bart, widely recognised as the one of the greatest ever gallopers to emerge from the west.  From anywhere for that matter!

Other close relations include the Cox Plate winner and influential sire, Savabeel, and dual Group 1 winner, Savannah Success.

Rebel Sister produced a More Than Ready filly last year which will be retained to race by Impressive Racing, while the mare herself was sold to Baramul Stud – in foal to Hinchinbrook – for $300,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in June.

Universal Ruler won the WA 2YO Sires’ premiership in 2017-18 and he stands at Scenic Lodge for $4,950 alongside Snippetson ($6,600) and Dash For Cash ($2,750).  All service fees (inc GST).

UNIVERSAL RULER