The Group I MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday produced a tenacious
win for progressive four year-old Trust In A Gust (pictured Darryl Sherer), who has been placed to great
advantage by Darren Weir to take advantage of lucrative VOBIS bonuses through
his career and was actually named Super VOBIS Horse of the Year for 2013/2014.A $45,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Swettenham Stud draft, Trust in a Gust runs for a big team of owners, his overall record reading nine wins and five placings from 16 starts with prizemoney of $867,650.
Bred by Adam Sangster, Trust in a Gust is the first Group I winner and fifth stakes-winner for Sunday Silence sire Keep the Faith, who stood at Swettenham Stud before his transfer to Greta West Stud in 2012 where he stands this spring at a fee of $4,400.
"Trust in a Gust is the first Group I winner I've bred since taking over Swettenham in Australia after Dad died," revealed Adam Sangster, whose father Robert was one of the most influential and successful breeders in the world.
"It's been a journey that started with dispersals of all the Swettenham stock on three continents back in 2007 and 2008 and has led to a rebuilding of my broodmare band and of the farm itself.
"There are so many people that have been involved along the way and I need to thank all of them for the roles they have played in helping us re-create and reinvigorate Swettenham as one of Victoria's leading farms.
"A Group I win for Trust in a Gust has been as good an endorsement you can have for the changes we have made and the path we have taken."
Trust in a Gust is the third foal of Subtle Breeze (USA), who was also bred by Swettenham Stud in the Northern Hemisphere and is a half-sister by Storm Cat to Group I Epsom Oaks and Irish Derby winner Balanchine.
"I was in Kentucky for the US part of the Swettenham Dispersal in 2007 and decided to buy her and bring her back to Australia," Sangster said.
Local bloodstock agent Adrian Hancock secured Subtle Breeze for $140,000 on behalf of Sangster and the rest is history.
"She's a big strong typical Storm Cat mare, but the real reason I bought her was Balanchine," Sangster reflected.
"She was the first filly Dad sold to Sheikh Mohammed.
"The Sheikh bought her as a tried filly out of the yard of Peter Chapple-Hyam after she won her first two starts for Dad and then she won the Epsom Oaks and Irish Derby for the Sheikh.
"Fillies almost never win a Derby in Europe. Balanchine was exceptional.
"I felt a real sentimental attachment to Subtle Breeze, so it's been most
fitting that she would deliver the first Group I success for the new Swettenham
Stud."Balanchine was a pivotal part of Dad's history and now she's a part of mine."
Swettenham Stud sold a yearling colt by their exciting shuttle sire Equiano (Fr) from Subtle Breeze for $120,000 at Magic Millions this year to Kennewell Racing and have a yearling colt to follow by another of their young sires in Master of Design.
"The Equiano colt is doing everything right for Lloyd Kennewell by all accounts and the Master of Design colt is outstanding," Sangster said.
"He'll be going to a yearling sale next year, but which one is yet to be decided."
Subtle Breeze ventured away from the Swettenham sires last year and was covered by Golden Slipper hero Pierro.
"She's in the foaling paddock at present and due to foal any day, but she will stay here after that and go back to Equiano," Sangster said.
