Woodside Park's principal Mark Rowsthorn and general manager Murray Tillett signed on the deal with Rich Enuff's owners after the colt passed a veterinary examination at trainer Ken Key's Cranbourne stables on Tuesday morning.
Key's wife Louise will retain a 50 per cent share of the colt and long-time
stable client Colin Johnstone holds the remaining 25 per cent. Tillett said plans continue for Rich Enuff to contest the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (3YO, 1200m, formerly the Ascot Vale Stakes) at Flemington on November 1.
"It's the same race we won with Zoustar last year shortly after we bought a significant share in him," Tillett said.
"We hope to replicate what we did with Zoustar … we are in discussions with a couple of Hunter Valley farms with the potential, when Rich Enuff retires, for him to stand alternatively in NSW and Victoria."
Zoustar, who is currently serving mares in his first season at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley, will cover his second season in 2015 at Woodside Park, Tylden, near Woodend, about 50 minutes north-west of Melbourne.
Rich Enuff is a son of Woodside Park's emerging young sire Written Tycoon (by
Iglesia) and Tillett said the farm has had its eye on Rich Enuff for some time."Obviously, because he is a son of Written Tycoon, but also because he is a magnificent physical specimen and the image of his sire, and he is a very fast horse.
"His Danehill Stakes and Guineas Prelude wins were outstanding and his second in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas was both brilliant and brave—his was probably the best run in the race."
Importantly for racing fans, the plan is to keep Rich Enuff in training with Keys until the end of his 4YO campaign in 2016.
"We believe Rich Enuff is on the rise—he's had only five starts—and he has the capacity to develop into one of the best sprinter-milers we have seen for some time. He's in very good hands to achieve that aim," Tillett said.
Ken Keys is excited by future prospects for Rich Enuff.
"After weeks of fielding offers for the colt, I'm thrilled that we have been able to secure a deal with a Victorian stud that results in him racing on in our stable for at least another 18 months, which gives him every chance to reach the potential I believe he has.
"Mark (Rowsthorn) runs a very professional outfit and I look forward to our association with him and I hope we can justify his faith in us and the horse."
Rich Enuff had one run as a 2YO—a fast-finishing third at Moonee Valley in March— before stringing together three scintillating wins this spring, including the G2 Danehill Stakes (1200m, Flemington) in a very slick 1 min 08.13 secs, which is faster than recent Danehill Stakes winners, champions Sepoy (1:08.70) and Black Caviar (1.09.96).
Also, no horse has won a Coolmore Stud Stakes over the same course quicker than Rich Enuff ran in the Danehill, including such champions as Vain, Tolerance, Century, Taj Rossi, Surround, Zeditave, Courtza, Encosta De Lago, Alinghi, Northern Meteor and Zoustar, who won last year in 1:09.23. When Exceed And Excel won the 2004 G1 Newmarket Handicap as a 3YO, he ran 1:08.72.
Rich Enuff has a pedigree that reflects all that is great about Australian sprinters.
His bloodlines include some of Australia's most influential stallions of the past 30 years, including Vain, Snippets, Marscay, Last Tycoon and Bletchingly. His sire Written Tycoon won the G2 Todman Stakes and was a Golden Slipper contender, and his grand-sire, Iglesia, was a powerhouse sprinter, and still holds the Flemington 1200-metre record of 1:07.16.
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