Beauty’s Beast (NZ) will face the sternest test of his fledgling career at Ruakaka on Saturday where the impressive last-start winner will take on a quality field of three-year-olds.
Highly-regarded by his connections, Beauty’s Beast is one of many Group 1 prospects in the LR Challenge Stakes line-up.
“He’s going great and I’m very happy with him and he’ll be going up against a few horses with fairly big reputations,” trainer David Greene said. “He’s nominated for the 2000 Guineas and depending on how he progresses that’s the path and the Hawke’s Bay Guineas is an obvious next step, all going well.”
Beauty’s Beast (3g Guillotine – Black Beauty by Black Minnaloushe) is a homebred for Windsor Park Stud and is the first horse Greene has trained for the Cambridge farm. “He arrived at the stable with a bit of a rap on him from Rodney (Schick) and the first couple of times we worked him he was impressive without being anything spectacular,” Greene said.
“After that he put in a couple of pieces of work that had me shaking my head and I thought this guy’s got some serious talent. He’s a big, strong boy and he’s also well filled out with plenty of muscle packed in – he’s ready to put his best foot forward again.”
Beauty’s Beast was a trial winner before he finished runner-up to stakes winner Orbity (Magic Albert) on debut at Ruakaka in June.
Given plenty of time to get over that run, he ventured north again last month and cruised to a three-length maiden win at at Ruakaka. Well-held runner-up Human Torch (Danzero) came out and won at his next start just as easily before attracting offers from Hong Kong.
His sire Guillotine (Montjeu) won the G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley (1600m) before retiring to Windsor Park where he stands for a $7,000 (plus gst) service fee.
Beauty’s Beast is the first foal of Black Beauty, a half-sister to Riccarton stakes winner Grace Park (Danske). The mare has a 2yo colt by Guillotine and a yearling filly by Thorn Park.