Darley young guns Nadeem and Ad Valorem are off the mark with their first Australian stakes winners.
Nadeem opened the Newmarket meeting on Saturday morning when Triple Asset did best in a head-bobbing finish to the Listed TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m). The Tasmanian filly got up right on the line to edge out Metonymy (Hotel Grand) and Altar (Commands) at Flemington.
Triple Asset (2f Nadeem – Caralowe by Hennessy) was bred and sold by Armidale Stud for $28,000 at the 2010 Tasmanian Magic Millions. She won on debut in Hobart and followed up with close seconds to mainland raiders Chinchilla (LR Elwick Stakes) and Golden Archer (LR Gold Sovereign Stakes).
Connections decided to take her to Melbourne after a well-deserved victory in the Tasmanian Magic Millions Classic on February 23. “We thought she could give them a scare,” trainer and part owner John Keys said. “This is something special and now we will probably stay over.”
Keys mentioned the G3 The Jansz in Adelaide as a possible target later this month.
Triple Asset is a first-crop runner for 2006 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Nadeem (Redoute’s Choice). Her dam Caralowe is closely related to G1 Golden Slipper winner Marauding.
Nadeem has 11 lots catalogued for the upcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale including half-relations to stakes winners Vocabulary, Russian Caravan, Custard and Saturday’s Listed MSS Security Stakes winner Panipique.
Ad Valorem struck a second time for Darley Australia on Saturday when his colt Uate won the G3 Skyline Stakes at Warwick Farm.
Uate (2c Ad Valorem- Long Walk by Over) kept his unbeaten record intact with narrow decision over Hot Snitzel (Snitzel) and Flight Of Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus). He had won by three lengths on debut at Randwick’s Kenso course on March 2 when breaking the previous class record held by Samantha Miss.
The Kris Lee-trained youngster impressed winning jockey Nash Rawiller. “He’s a good horse and is going places. You’ll see how good in a fast run race over 1400m.”
Ad Valorem (Danzig) was a G1 winner of the Middle Park Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old and the Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) at four. In a strange twist, he shuttled from Coolmore to Darley Australia but didn’t return to Ireland for the 2011 northern season.
Ad Valorem (USA) sired 15 individual first-crop winners in Europe last year headed by Rome Listed winner Samaden. Tax Evader had opened his Australian account at Toowoomba in January.
Uate also gave Egmont Park sire Over (Dr Grace) his first stakes winner as a broodmare sire. He is the second foal of Moonee Valley winner Long Walk. Her first Rorke’s Drift (Commands) had been Over’s first ever winner as a broodmare sire at Sale on February 25.
Uate was pin-hooked for $47,500 at the 2010 Inglis Classic yearling sale but didn’t make a $115,000 reserve when re-offered at the BC3 2YO Sale last August.