Ridgeport Farm resident Rommel signed off the calendar year with an international double on Sunday which signalled even better things to come in 2025.
Rommel has a rousing 67% winning strike-rate from his first four crops and they don’t come any better than Tourbillon Prince who was winning for the fourth time in Hong Kong.
Hours earlier, Noble Connection opened his winning account for Pearce Racing in the Donnybrook Glass Maiden (1690m) at Bunbury. The Rommel 3yo defeated Extra Zero (Universal Ruler) after they kicked clear from the rest of the field to engage in a two-horse war down the straight.
Tourbillon Prince closed out the final meeting of the year in Hong Kong with a similar win in the Eagle’s Nest Hcp (1400m) at Sha Tin. The hard-fought victory was one to savour for Zac Purton who wasn’t surprised when he saluted at $33 despite coming off a last-start victory for recuperating trainer Benno Yung.
“It was a good, tough win and it’s nice to get another one for Benno,” Purton said after becoming only the second jockey to ever ride 1,800 winners in Hong Kong. “He won well last time although it was obviously a stronger race today. He drew wide and had to carry weight (61kg) but he’s a little bit more seasoned than the others and that showed in the finish.”
Tourbillon Prince (6g Rommel – Colleges by Elusive Quality) was bred and sold by Ridgeport Farm owner Santo Guagliardo for $34,000 at the 2020 Adelaide Magic Millions. Trained by Ted Martinovich, he won at Ascot and Belmont prior to a Group 2 second in the 2022 WA Derby (2400m).
He raced as Pale Rider in Perth before being sold off-shore with a bank-balance already in excess of $200,000. Sunday’s win propelled his Hong Kong prizemoney to the equivalent of AUD 1.23 million.
Ridgeport Farm has catalogued his yearling full-sister as Lot 199 at the Perth Magic Millions on February 20.
Noble Connection (3g Rommel – Leitfaden by Choisir) had been in the spotlight at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions when Ridgeport sold him for $170,000. Pearce Racing kept a share as did Santo Guagliardo in a partnership that also includes Own The Dream syndicate ‘Stable Mannas’.
The 2023 Own The Dream winning prize of $30,000 went towards buying a share in Noble Connection who is a half-brother to LR Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic winner Saintorio (Oratorio). The ‘Stable Mannas’ team is managed by Mandurah-based Sue Dawe and includes her husband Garry, Julie Boyd, Bronwyn Dodd, Jill Williams and Sarah Glossop.
There may be more updates prior to the 2025 Perth Magic Millions if Noble Connection lives up to the positive vibe from Dan & Ben Pearce. “This is his debut campaign and he was luckless in his first two starts,” Pearce Racing posted on Facebook. “He relished a rise in distance at Bunbury and Brad (Parnham) rode him positively from an awkward draw.”
Ridgeport retained Noble Connection’s 2yo full-sister who has been named Fortgang and have catalogued his Zoustar half-brother who will be one of the star colts at the 2025 Perth Magic Millions when he parades as Lot 73 on February 20.