Yarradale Stud sires Gingerbread Man and Shooting To Win combined for an international double on Thursday and a Yarradale-bred graduate can put the icing on the cake at Ascot on Saturday.
Ginger And Tonic (4m Gingerbread Man – Moderation by Mastercraftsman) was overdue to break through at Northam yesterday following a marathon campaign earlier this year that yielded 6 placings in 13 starts. She went out at $20 first-up in the UAA Maiden (1400m) and led home a Gingerbread Man quinella from odds-on favourite Herault.
“She went close a few times last prep and I probably gave her a few runs too many,” part-owner and trainer Paul Jordan admitted. “She’s come back with a spring in her step and I thought she was home at the 600m. She’s in the Westspeed Scheme so it’s good money. And I didn’t need to back her at $20 because I own 80%.”
The fairer sex celebrate at Northam – Lisa Staples, Ginger And Tonic, strapper Julie Mitchell and Laura Jordan / Photo: Western Racepix
Ginger And Tonic was a $60,000 buy for Jordan and his wife Laura from Rangeview Stud at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions. Her NZ-bred dam Moderation is a half-sister to G1 ARC Easter Hcp (1600m) winner Pondarosa Miss (High Chaparral) and her most recent foals are 2yo filly and weanling colt by Manhattan Rain.
Winning jockey Lisa Staples has been aboard in all of her close calls and reported the mare was nice and fresh before the start. “She was bouncing around but was laid-back in running and is already looking for more ground than 1400m.”
Shooting To Win doubled up for the Yarradale roster with Leslie in the Tin Ha Shan Hcp (1600m) in Hong Kong last night. The Michael Chang-trained expat ran on strongly from mid-division to score by a half-length from Shanghai Style (Belardo).
Leslie (5g Shooting To Win – We Can Dance by Shinzig) was purchased by Ricky Yiu for $130,000 at the 2020 Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale. He was exported unraced and has now earned the equivalent of AUD 950,000 for the Apple of My Eyes Syndicate.
“It’s been a good night for me,” Chang said at Sha Tin. “Fast horses make a better trainer.”
Yarradale Stud-bred graduate Elite Beau faces his stiffest test to date in the Placid Ark Prelude (1100m) at Ascot tomorrow but bookmakers believe he’s up to the task. He has opened a $2.80 favourite against a red-hot field of the State’s most promising 3yo sprinters.
Elite Beau (3c Brazen Beau – Burgoyne by War Chant) was the top-priced colt at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions when sold by Yarradale for $375,000 to agent Suman Hedge acting on behalf of a China Horse Club syndicate.
He coasted to the line first-up at Ascot on October 15 and trainers Grant and Alana Williams continued their winning run in the last week of October with Summer’s Legacy, Think Pink Daze, Fast Harry, Be Bardot, Ladies Pro and Essentric Nature.
Shooting To Win (Northern Meteor) and Gingerbread Man (Shamardal) stand for $5,500 fees (inc GST) at Yarradale Stud. For all enquiries contact Davy Hanratty (0429 336 904).
