Amelia Park unveiled another very impressive graduate to open the Beaufine Stakes meeting on Saturday with the Dan Morton-trained debutant King Of Light in the TABtouch Plate (1300m).
He followed Amelia Park-bred graduate Setagaya (Shooting To Win) who won her maiden at Northam last Thursday week for Adam Durrant.
King Of Light (2g Earthlight – Queen’s Parade by Dalghar) settled at the tail of the field for Willie Pike at Pinjarra and was spotting the leader Bannered (Starspangledbanner) the best part of six lengths approaching the home turn.
He tracked the favourite Aberdeen Flyer (Astern) and had the race won at the furlong with a tremendous turn of foot to score easing up on the line. (Photo / Western Racepix).
“I felt there was something under the hood when he trialled in heavy going at Belmont last month,” Pike said. “He kept picking his feet up and that willingness really impressed me.
“I was a bit concerned when we were a long way off them today. But he was there for me again when I gave him a squeeze in the straight. He’s still raw and can come back a very nice horse with a spell under his belt.”
Amelia Park (as agent) sold King Of Light for $120,000 at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions. Dan Morton’s wife Carol manages the good-looking chestnut’s stable syndicate that includes his breeder Neven Botica.
Pike also piloted his NZ-bred dam Queen’s Parade to win a Northam maiden in a career restricted to five starts due to a lacerated off-hind tendon. Her earlier foals include the Impending (Lonhro) city winners Changing Guard (Belmont x 3) and King’s Parade (Ascot x 3).
She has a yearling colt by Manhattan Rain and a filly foal by Blue Point, who like King Of Light’s sire Earthlight, is an Irish-bred son of Sheikh Mohammed’s super-sire Shamardal (USA).
Setagaya (3f Shooting To Win – Harada Queen by Haradasun) won like an odds-on favourite should under Willie Pike in the Avon Valley last week. She was racing second-up and was well-placed in running to defeat front-runner Lady Mayflower (Playing God) with something to spare in the Swan Draught Maiden (1100m).
Amelia Park owner Peter Walsh bred and sold her in partnership with Brian Bradley and John Cipriani for $36,000 at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions Winter Yearling Sale. Her dam Harada Queen is now four-from-four at stud following All American filly American Queen and the Toronado (Ire) pair Disengo and Royal Toronado.
“We absolutely love everything the mare has produced and know there will be many more wins in store,” Durrant Racing posted on Facebook. “Setagaya broke her maiden in style and was expertly guided by Willie. She’s an exciting filly showing plenty of promise.”
Bradley has been breeding from the family going back three generations to Special Harmony (G1 VRC Oaks), King Canute (G2 Perth Cup) and Redwoldt (G2 Karrakatta Plate). Special Harmony is the second-dam of multiple Group 1 winning mare Fangirl (Sebring).
Oakland Park resident Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor) sired Setagaya and Harada Queen’s most recent foals are a yearling filly by Nicconi and a weanling colt by Darling View sire Lightsaber.
