It was a case of '10 memorable minutes' for the Tyreel Stud team today as Tiger Of Malay (Extreme Choice) and Behemoth (All Too Hard) resumed with nail-biting Stakes victories.
The thrills began when the star 3YO Tiger Of Malay - first up since a successful Brisbane winter campaign – railed to win the feature G3 Up And Coming Stakes at Kembla Grange.
And minutes later, popular sprinter Behemoth had to do it the hard way via the stewards room, scoring a deserved win in the G3 Spring Stakes at Morphettville after successfully protesting his initial second placing.
Both Tiger Of Malay and Behemoth were sold by Tyreel’s Linda and Laurence Monds, who also bred Behemoth.
“It’s days like this you just stop and say ‘yep, I love my job’,’’ a delighted Linda Monds said.
“It’s just so exciting to get results like these and so exciting for the people who have invested in these horses and for the breeders.
“Tiger Of Malay, we foaled him down and raised him and sold him on behalf of his breeders and he was a beautiful colt, so strong from even the earliest of days and it’s no surprise at all to see him doing what he’s doing on the race track.
“Behemoth, I think everybody has a soft spot for Behemoth and he was so brave again today and it certainly looks like the spring carnival is going to be very exciting for both these horses.
“Our aim here at Tyreel is to keep producing and selling these champions so let’s hope we see plenty more Tyreel raised-and-sold horses winning these Stakes races in the spring and beyond.’’
Tiger Of Malay had to lump 61kg against a quality bunch of 3YOs in the Up And Coming but proved too strong off the back of a peach James McDonald ride.
In an Inglis Easter quinella, Tiger Of Malay defeated Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock) in a thrilling finish.
Trained by Richard and Michael Freedman, Tiger of Malay is a $255,000 Easter buy for China Horse Club and Newgate Farm.
Today’s win took his overall earnings to $910,000 and he – and the runner up – appear set for big spring preparations.
Tiger Of Malay was bred by West Aussie Bridie O’Bree and will now be targeted at stallion-making G1 races the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas.
Newgate’s Henry Field said: “I know Michael [Freedman] was particularly pleased with the win, given he’d only had one soft trial eight days ago and carried 61kg today so it was a huge effort.
“The others all had a massive weight advantage but still couldn’t beat him.
“I think as a 3YO, seven furlongs is his sweet spot but I’m really confident he’ll run a mile as well.
“He’s already proven himself as a G2 winner, a G3 winner and a G1 placegetter, he’s made significant improvement from two to three and he showed that today so bring on the next couple of months.’’
For Behemoth, the protest decision was arguably one of the easiest for stewards in recent memory after he was severely hampered in the G3 Spring Stakes.
It was a ninth career win and seventh Stakes success for the David Jolly-trained Behemoth, a $120,000 Great Southern Weanling purchase for Heritage Bloodstock from Tyreel.
The Walling Bloodstock-bred 6YO, who has now won $2.6m in prizemoney, will likely head north to Sydney or Melbourne for bigger spring carnival targets.
At Caulfield today, one-time star 2YO Ingratiating (Frosted) returned in the best style imaginable as a 3YO with a scintillating last-to-first win in the G3 Vain Stakes.
Having placed in both the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond as a juvenile, the James Cummings-trained Ingratiating was having his first start as a 3YO and proved he’s also in for a big spring with an effortless win.
It was an equally significant result for Woodside Park’s Eddie Hirsch, who purchased Ingratiating’s dam Obsequious – in foal to Frosted and hence carrying a full brother to Ingratiating - for just $27,500 through the Inglis Digital platform last year.
Obsequious is set to soon foal down a Russian Revolution foal.
Entries for the Inglis Digital August (Late) Online Auction – which already has the confirmed entry of three-time Stakes winner and G1 placegetter Fasika – close at midnight on Wednesday.
To enter, CLICK HERE.
