Despite giving supporters a nervous time over the final 50 metres of Saturday’s opener over 1400m at Caulfield, Phoenix Thoroughbreds I Am Invincible colt Efflorescence did enough to make it two wins in succession.
With Billy Egan in the saddle, the Anthony Freedman-trained colt looked set for a comfortable win when he led by two lengths with 100 metres to go. As Efflorescence began to shorten stride the Wandjina gelding Wunambal rallied strongly to miss by a short-half-head with the Redoute’s Choice colt Confrontational one and a half lengths back in third.
Efflorescence was coming off a dominant win over 1400m on the synthetic track at Ballarat on June 28 at his third start.
“He's been a work in progress," assistant trainer Sam Freedman said.
"He has probably improved throughout his whole preparation and he's becoming a bit more race savvy. Once you reach this metropolitan grade you need to do everything right to be able to win and he's working through his grades nicely.
“He didn’t have the blinkers on at his first couple of starts and he was a little slow out and last start (with the blinkers on) he pinged the gates.
“Next preparation we will probably look to ride him with a bit of cover in his trials and add another chink to his armour.
“It’s a big thrill for Phoenix Thoroughbreds who have entrusted us with this colt who was an expensive yearling. He is just a frame at this stage and is probably six months away so hopefully he can just keep improving.”
Efflorescence was a $510,000 purchase by Phoenix Thoroughbreds out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
He is the second winner from three to race out of the top-class Al Maher mare Oasis Bloom who won the Group II MVRC WH Stock Stakes.
At next months Great Southern Sale, Longwood Thoroughbred Farm will be offering a weanling Sebring filly out of Oasis Bloom who was covered by Brazen Beau last spring.
