Russian Revolution and Capitalist both produced impressive debut two year-old winners on Saturday for champion trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott as well as Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
The Melbourne meeting started early to avoid the heat of the day and Capitalist colt Veecee made light work of the 1100m dash at his first start to win by two and a half lengths for Ethan Brown.
Ethan Brown was full of praise for the colt, who had to overcome a few things to win and is entered for the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes.
“He was in the gates a long time and he was getting a bit anxious,” Ethan Brown said. “He got very hot and flustered and was very awkward away.
“I thought the leaders rolled along a bit, which suited us. Still merit to him, he was exposed the whole race, but we were able to build into it and he was strong late.”
“He’s got all the attributes. He’s going to improve from today’s outing. He was pretty soft in the end, so onwards and upwards.”
A $750,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Tyreel Stud draft for Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, Veecee was bred by Glenelg Park and is the first winner for unraced Poet’s Voice (GB) mare Isabella, a half-sister to stakes-winners Pistols and Keep the Faith.
Veecee was the most expensive yearling sold in 2022 by Capitalist, who has enjoyed strong results at Magic Millions this week with yearlings selling for up to $850,000.
At Rosehill, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained colt Red Resistance was an eye-catcher in the mounting yard and ran up to his good looks for Brett Prebble in the 1100m juvenile contest.
He led all the way and held off a determined challenge from race favourite Steel City to win by three-quarters of a length with five lengths back to the third horse.
“He’s a really lovely horse, an imposing horse, you could see that in the yard, he looked the favourite, but he wasn’t,” said Brett Prebble.
“Coming from the Waterhouse Bott stable you know they are going to be well educated and he bounced, led and travelled really sweetly and went through his gears and pretty much floated from the 300 and just did what I asked him to do.”
Withdrawn from Inglis Easter and retained to race by Go Bloodsock and Newgate, Red Resistance is the second foal and second winner from brilliant Group II winning Lonhromare Heatherly, who was also twice Group I placed in the MVRC Moir Stakes and MRC Oakleigh Plate.
Russian Revolution has some promising juveniles this season with The Instructor winning impressively on debut this week and stakes-placed Perfect Proposal and Physical Graffiti also showing talent.
Russian Revolution has had yearlings sell for up to $360,000 at Magic Millions this week.