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Lofty Goals for Sebring's Tea Leaves

Mark Smith - Friday March 5

In a race that kick-started the career of Montefilia, the even money favourite Tea Leaves opened his winning account in Friday’s Beaumont Handicap (1400m) at Newcastle.

It did not come easy. With Tim Clark in the saddle for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the son of Sebring needed all of the long Broadmeadow straight to defeat the Paul Perry-trained Choisir colt Cruel Summer by a half-head with the Criterion colt Last Not Least three lengths back in third.  

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Never a factor when making his debut at Canberra, Tea Leaves was coming off a luckless second over 1300m at Wyong on February 25

Future Group 1 winner Montefilia was a $51 chance when she won this at her career debut, before finishing fourth in the Listed Baillieu Handicap at Rosehill and that is the race earmarked for Tea Leaves according to stable representative Neil Paine.

“It was a brilliant finish. It just goes to show his fighting qualities,” Paine said.

“He will only get better as he gets further.

“Speaking to Gai and Adrian his ultimate aim is the (Group 1) Champagne Stakes but he will probably go to the Baillieu after this.

“They will get him home and see how he pulls up, but they are his aims.

“He has improved at every start, is an exciting colt with nice owners so exciting times.”  

Tea Leaves was purchased by his trainers for $325,000 out of the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Tea Leaves a $325,000 Magic Millions yearling

Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, the son of Sebring carries the colours of Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock who races him with a group that includes his breeder John Camilleri.

Tea Leaves is the second foal and first winner for the High Chaparral mare Pattini, who was sent to the UK in 2019 to visit Kingman. She is now back at Segenhoe with a Kingman filly foal and is back in foal to him again to Southern Hemisphere time.

A first-up winner over 1309m at Seymour in a career restricted to five starts, Pattini is a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Newlands and a half-sister to Golden Slipper winner Vancouver, Group 1 SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes winner Juste Momente and stakes-winner Captain Coltish.

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Race Result - Bella Group Serv. Beaumont Hcp 1400m

Newcastle Track: Soft(5) Time: 1:26.24
1
Tea Leaves
- 2c Sebring (AUS) x Pattini (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Tim Clark 58
2
0.1
Cruel Summer
- 2c Choisir (AUS) x Summer Song (AUS) (Sebring (AUS))
Tnr: P M Perry Rdr: Ms K O'Hara 55.5
3
3.1
Last Not Least
- 2c Criterion (NZ) x Boundary (AUS) (Manhattan Rain (AUS))
Tnr: J G Sargent Rdr: K S Latham 57.5
4
4.7
Dark Energy
- 2c Exosphere (AUS) x Mnemosyne (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: C Reith 57
5
4.8
Chitabe
- 2f Belardo (IRE) x The Fire Inside (NZ) (Sir Percy (GB))
Tnr: David Payne Rdr: K Mc Evoy 55
6
6.3
Gymnastics
- 2f Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Aerobatics (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: Rachel King 56.5
7
6.5
Serenata
- 2f Scissor Kick (AUS) x Serenade Lily (NZ) (King's Best (USA))
Tnr: P M Perry Rdr: J Ford 55.5
8
6.9
Another Pharoah
- 2c American Pharoah (USA) x Replique (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ))
Tnr: P M Perry Rdr: N Rawiller 57.5
9
12.6
Premonitions
- 2c Nostradamus (AUS) x Swissac (AUS) (Secret Savings (USA))
Tnr: Alexandre Lemarie Rdr: Tom Sherry 57.5
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