Former WA galloper Tradesman has earned a Group 1 start in Queensland with a resounding victory at Warrnambool this week.
Now with Darren Weir, Tradesman scored as easy as you like in the I Am Warrnambool Hcp (1700m) on the first day of Australia’s premier country carnival. Managing part-owner Todd Harvey trained the son of Trade Fair to 7 wins in Perth, including a LR Belmont Guineas, before transferring him to Victoria earlier this year.
“He’s an exciting horse and has been nominated for the (G1) Doomben Cup,” Weir said. “There’s also races like the Brisbane Cup and Caloundra Cup that fit in really well up there.”
Tradesman has made headway in all three starts for Weir and impressed winning jockey John Allen. “He’s a big-striding horse and his Perth form is holding up. He was better then this grade and we will push on to Queensland.”
Tradesman is the final foal of Virelay (Laranto) who won at Ascot for the late Mark Spencer. He was a $57,500 buy for Harvey out of the Toreby Park draft at the 2013 Perth Magic Millions.
Mogumber Park has kept a link with the family in WA through his half-sister Hart To Trade (Hartley’s Spirit). She foaled a Safeguard filly first-up in October and was bred back to Rommel.
The Warrnambool result completed a winning treble for Toreby Park’s Fiona Gerrard. Her 2014 Perth Magic Millions graduate Middle Earth (Blackfriars) maintained his impressive strike-rate in the opening event Ascot last Saturday.
The Oakford nursery doubled up in the G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes with Lordhelpmerun (Playing God) at Ascot. He sold for $25,000 at the 2017 Perth Magic Millions and has banked $262,800 topped up by Westspeed bonuses of $42,500.