Arpione had his fair share of ups and downs in three starts before breaking through in the Own The Dream Maiden (1675m) at Bunbury on Sunday.
He came good with a vengeance after sitting three-wide with cover behind $101 longshot Madam Ouqba. That filly was a spent force before the corner and Steve Parnham was already on his bike and building for a powerful finish to score by more than two lengths from Magic Carats (Long Leaf).
Arpione is bred in purple from one of WA’s best families but wasn’t given any favours from the outset. “He got left first-up, found trouble and didn’t compete,” trainer Stephen Miller recalled. “The same thing happened at his third start last week so I buttered him up today and Steve gave him every chance.
“He was in fresh air and is a decent horse when ridden like that. He’s not built to be tough but he’s mature mentally. He will have one more run before a break and will get over ground later on.”
Arpione was bred and sold for $65,000 at the 2024 Perth Magic Millions by Peter Walsh (Amelia Park) and Brian Bradley (Bradley Thoroughbreds). He’s a half-brother to She’s Fit (G3 WA Oaks) and their dam Harpoon is a half-sister to Special Harmony (G1 VRC Oaks), King Canute (G2 Perth Cup) and Redwoldt (G2 Karrakatta Plate).
Special Harmony (Spinning World) is the dam of Sydney Listed winner Little Surfer Girl (Encosta de Lago) and the second-dam of Fangirl (Sebring) who was a Group 1 winner of a Vinery Stud Stakes, King Charles III Stakes and Winx Stakes.
Amelia Park-bred stayer Rally The Troops (Blue Point) made it a winning double for the Vasse nursery at Bunbury in the Nixon Electrical Hcp (2000m). He’s also out of a High Chaparral mare and is a younger half-brother to Amelia Park homebred Buckets Ridge (Pride Of Dubai) who is on the fourth line of markets for the G2 Perth Cup (2400m) worth $1 million at Ascot on New Year’s Day.
