Newgate Farm’s Flying Artie has been having a great season with his first two year-olds and added a ninth winner to the tally on Wednesday when the Team Hawkes trained Almighty Rising led all the way to win at Canterbury.
Having his first run back from a spell after being gelded following a disappointing debut in the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview, Almighty Rising showed his true ability with a tenacious win.
Ridden forward by Tommy Berry, he raced comfortably in the lead and when challenged had just enough left to win the 1100m maiden by half a head.
“Wayne (Hawkes) had a good opinion of him down in Melbourne so we put him in the deep end and when he didn’t come to hand that day we sent him to the paddock and gelded him,” said co-trainer Michael Hawkes.
“Once he gets his mind on the job he’s going to be a really nice horse.”
Bred by SF Bloodstock and partners, Almighty Rising was foaled and raised at Newgate and passed in at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale shy of his $50,000 reserve, so was retained to race and runs in the Newgate colours.
Almighty Rising is a half-brother to Group I winner Ruud Awakening and stakes-placed First Dawn being the seventh winner from good producing Danehill (USA) mare Dawn Almighty.
Dawn Almighty produced another colt by Flying Artie last spring.
Almighty Rising is the ninth winner for Flying Artie, whose star performer is Group I MRC Blue Diamond winner Artorius along with stakes-placed Art of Flying, Inglis Scone Challenge winner Artero and three more metro winners.
Flying Artie is priced this spring at a fee of $33,000.