Westbury Park and Darling View Thoroughbreds held open days for their rosters on Sunday morning with newcomers Straight Charge and Royal Patronage (Fr) attracting most attention from those who attended both parades.
Straight Charge (Written By) held centre-stage at Westbury before breeders drove 50km up the South West Hwy to Darling View. “The right people were here and the comments were complimentary,” Westbury owner Phil Ibbotson said. “He’s impressed everyone since arriving earlier this month.
“He paraded at Belmont on Saturday and that also went well with more bookings. They called him a speed machine winning the (G2) Silver Slipper at two and he’s letting down into a superb stallion.”
Straight Charge (Photo / Western Racepix) stands 16.1 hands and covers ground with shoulders that help generate a balanced, lengthy stride.
Prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, he showcased natural brilliance and sustained speed that compared favourably with stable star Storm Boy who won a RL Magic Millions 2yo Classic on the Gold Coast.
Straight Charge stands at Westbury on behalf of Great Southern horseman Gray Williamson for an introductory service fee of $6,600 (inc GST). Contact Phil Ibbotson (0429 341 211) or Gray Williamson (0427 532 103) for bookings or further details.
Royal Patronage (Wootton Bassett) has settled in without any issues at Darling View after flying in from the Eastern States. “He paraded like a superstar and we received a dozen bookings on what was a very enjoyable day,” Darling View general manager Brent Atwell said.
“He will cover a strong book first-up and will be a perfect fit for Western Australia. It was a fantastic turnout on Sunday and all four of our stallions presented extremely well.”
Royal Patronage (Photo / Western Racepix) is a French-bred son of dual hemisphere champion sire Wootton Bassett (GB) and his dam Shaloushka (Dalakhani) is from the Aga Khan nurtured family of English and Irish Derby winner Shahrastani (Nijinsky).
He was a forward 2yo in England winning an Epsom Downs nursery prior to making all the running in high-class renewals of the G3 Acomb Stakes (1400m) at York and Royal Lodge Stakes (1600m) at Newmarket.
Sold to Tulloch Lodge clients, Royal Patronage won the G2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) first-up in Australia at the expense of Perth visitor Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni).
He doubled up on home turf in last year’s weight-for-age Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1200m) at Randwick prompting a glowing report from regular partner Tim Clark. “He was comfortable the whole way and I was confident when it turned into a dogfight late in the race. I knew he would be there for me and it proved he’s right up there at the elite level.”
Royal Patronage (Wootton Bassett) has been priced competitively at a $16,500 (inc GST) fee and he’s in elite company alongside Playing God who will be the toast of Darling View this Friday.
“Playing God has won four WA premierships in a row now and we will be having a drink to celebrate,” Atwell promised. “He has taken us to another level and beyond and a highlight this season has been a career-best five individual Stakes winners.”
Playing God (Blackfriars) is an alpha male and he looked the part on Sunday parading ahead of another book filling fast at a WA-high fee of $49,500 (inc GST).
Promising 2yo filly They’reallsisters was labelled a carnival horse by trainer David Harrison after signing off a successful season for Darling View freshman Splintex (Snitzel) with a black-book victory at Belmont last Saturday.
She had won an Ascot juvenile in the New Year and didn’t lose any friends running second to Maria Lucia (Rommel) in the RL Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at Pinjarra in February. There’s improvement to come going into her 3yo season and that can apply to the majority of the first crop by Splintex.
He had 18 2yo trial winners this season and now trainers are working them out, that will transition into raceday winners in 2026-27. Splintex was late season 2yo city winner and trained on at Randwick to grab a G2 Arrowfield Sprint (1200m) at three and G3 Hall Mark (1200m) at four prior to a G2 Bobby Lewis (1200m) at Flemington as a five year-old.
Splintex (Snitzel) will cover another sizeable book at a $7,700 (inc GST) fee off an average of 90 mares in his first four seasons. “He was a sound, clean-winded racehorse and looked magnificent parading on Sunday,” Atwell said. “He’s out of a NZ-bred mare by O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) and they’re a tough breed.”
Lightsaber ensures there’s no weak link at Darling View and he could well be the roster’s rising star this time next year. By Champion sire of sires Zoustar (Northern Meteor), he excelled at two winning the G2 Sires Produce Stakes at Flemington and resumed at three to claim the G3 Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield
“It was a good sale for his first yearlings at the Magic Millions in February and the breakers have been positive,” Atwell relayed. “He’s a quality individual and a perfect outcross for all the Danehill-line broodmares in WA.”
The top-priced Lightsaber in the Swan Valley was the filly from Reliable Dame (NZ) who was purchased by Millfields Park and Vern Brockman for $170,000. She descends from Danehill’s Sandown Stakes winner Rose Of Dane.
Lightsaber (Zoustar) is priced at a $6,600 (inc GST) fee and Brent Atwell can be contacted for bookings and/or information for all four stallions on 0408 648 100.
