Peters Investments missed the money and black-type in caps when Cosmic Crusader and Opportunistic both found one better in feature races at Caulfield and Kalgoorlie on the weekend.
The beaten favourites will live to fight another day while elsewhere the cerise and white silks were seen to advantage with Federalist at Newcastle on Friday and Correct Choice at Belmont on Saturday.
Cosmic Crusader (Maurice) was far from disgraced when beaten by Irish-bred stayer Birdman (Free Eagle) in the G1 Underwood Stakes (1800m). “I was satisfied with that performance,” Willie Pike said on Saturday. “I think he’s looking for further and would appreciate a track with more give. He was outsprinted at the top of the straight and didn’t quite chase until the bird had flown.”
The Bob and Sandra Peters homebred had won the G3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) and G2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at his first two starts since transferring to Victoria and remains at $26 chance for the G1 Cox Plate (2000m) at Flemington on October 24.
Opportunistic (So You Think) was a worrying drifter from $1.70 out to $2.50 for the LR Boulder Cup (2125m) on Sunday and he had no answer to the finishing burst of former Lindsay Park galloper The Jester’s Son (Pierro).
They’re all square on the Goldfields. Opportunistic had defeated The Jester’s Son first-up in the Coolgardie Cup (1760m) a fortnight ago and they will clash again in the LR Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) on October 3.
His NZ-bred stablemate Lillian (War Decree) gives Peters Investments a strong hand this year following the win of their homebred Sentimental Hero (Al Maher) in the 2025 Kal Cup.
Opportunistic was bred and sold by Lynward Park from G3 La Trice Classic winner I’m Feeling Lucky (Bletchley Park) and cost Peters Investments $200,000 at the 2023 Perth Magic Millions. He’s earned $309,000 to date and this year’s Cup purse is worth $150,000.
Federalist had been runner-up in the G2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in March so it surprised no one when the regally-bred son of I Am Invincible resumed as a $1.35 favourite in the Rarity Wholesale Maiden Hcp (1400m) at Newcastle on Friday.
In front of a bumper Newcastle Cup Day crowd, the Peters Investments homebred shouldered 62kg and class prevailed when he held off fellow blueblood Lafite (Zoustar) by a half-length.
Federalist (pictured) is the first foal of 2019-20 Champion Australian Female Sprinter Arcadia Queen (Pierro) who carried the cerise and while silks to Group 1 victories in the VRC Mackinnon Stakes, MRC Caulfield Stakes and WATC Kingston Town Classic.
Peters Investments sold Arcadia Queen to Arrowfield Stud for $3.2 million at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and is a shareholder in Federalist after he was knocked down to Team Hawkes for $1 million at the 2024 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
Arcadia Queen’s second foal I Am Dynasty is another son of I Am Invincible and he finished a close second on debut at Illawarra Grange on Thursday. The 3yo colt was a $440,000 buy for Mulberry Racing billionaire Mike Gregg at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Correct Choice appreciated a drop back in grade to win the $100,000 TABtouch Stakes (1600m) at Belmont on Saturday but it also signalled a likely return to black-type company for the son of So You Think (NZ).
Peters Investments has built a great strike-rate with the Cox Plate Champion and, apart from Opportunistic, its winners by So You Think (High Chaparral) include Midnight Blue (G2 Perth Cup) and Diamond Scene (G3 Eurythmic Stakes).
“That’s what we expected to see from Correct Choice first-up in the (LR) Farnley Quality (1400m) but he was already off the bridle at the 600m that day,” Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters recalled. “He probably won’t be going any further at this stage but could get over a 2000m at the summer carnival.”
Peters Investments purchased Correct Choice for $320,000 from Segenhoe Stud at the 2022 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. His dam Celebrities Choice (Redoute’s Choice) is a younger half-sister to G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) winner Gathering (Tale Of The Cat).
His likely black-type targets apart from Ascot include the $150,000 Northam Cup (1600m) on October 25.
