Rivercrest Park sire God Has Spoken kept the south-west stud in the news on New Year’s Day when his quality sprinter Ghost Who Walks won the aptly-named LR Summer Scorcher (1000m) at Ascot.
Shouldering 59kg, Ghost Who Walks came with whirlwind finish for apprentice Keshaw Dhurun to defeat Real Danger (I Am Invincible) and Cut the Talk (Oratorio) in a quick 58.41s.
He had won the LR Beaufine Stakes (1000m) at Belmont in July and returned from a spell to finish a close second to Hot Zed (Red Hot Choice) in the G3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot in November.
Smiles all round as Kesh Dhurun and Ghost Who Walks return to scale at Ascot / Photo: Western Racepix
Trainer Neville Parnham elected to dodge the big guns in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) and reserved him for races like the Summer Scorcher, LR Miss Andretti Stakes (1100m) on January 13 and LR Scenic Blast Stakes (1200m) on January 27.
“He was never going to beat Overpass so we selected these races because he’s best at 1000m and 1100m.
“His first-up run was terrific and his trial the other day was super. It was a good ride by Kesh and he’s done a great job on this horse.”
Ghost Who Walks is a homebred for Cockatoo Ridge owner Colin Loxton who raced God Has Spoken. His dam Death Knock (Lonhro) was sold for $45,000 to Troy Corstens at an Inglis Digital Sale last year and she has a yearling colt by Playing God and a filly foal by Splintex.
God Has Spoken stands alongside Ducimus who is making pleasing progress with his first two crops conceived at Steve Hoare’s Rivercrest Park in Stratham.
Ducimus 3yo gelding Leading Taddy scored at Belmont and Ascot in December for trainer Ash Maley and his 3yo filly Tawkin’ Jibberish won a duel on debut with Lord Shiva (Playing God) down the Pinjarra straight on Boxing Day.
Tawkin’ Jibberish was bred by Ellie Giles and is trained by Luke Fernie for emerging owner Kim Doak. She was a bargain $8,000 buy out of the Yarradale Stud draft to the 2022 Perth Magic Millions Winter Yearling Sale.
The Ducimus 2yo division is led by the Trevor Andrews-trained black-book filly Define Beautiful. She stamped her credentials earlier in December with a very impressive victory over subsequent city winner Sinful Living (Safeguard).
Ducimus (Snitzel) stands at Rivercrest in association with Orbis Bloodstock and he has 7 yearlings entered for the 2024 Perth Magic Millions. One of the standouts at the Swan Valley Sale will be Lot 144. A full-sister to Define Beautiful, the chestnut filly is being offered by Alwyn Park as agent for Rivercrest.
