Beaten only once in nine starts in Singapore, Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) gelding The Inferno was the driving reason behind his trainer Cliff Brown returning to Australia from Singapore with the belief he had found the best horse he had ever had.
The Inferno went a long way to justifying Brown’s opinion when he powered home to beat Group I winner Portland Sky in the Group II MVRC McEwen stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
The Inferno failed to flatter in his first start in Australia when finishing sixth in a Listed race over 1200m at Caulfield in August, but Brown took responsibility for that defeat saying he had made some mistakes in the horse’s preparation.
He went back to the drawing board and upped his workload with The Inferno stripping a much fitter and more focused horse for this assignment.
The Inferno unleashed an explosive finish for Damian Lane to charge home and win by a length taking his overall record to nine wins and a second from 11 starts with prizemoney in excess of $1million.
“I think he could be an Everest horse,” said Cliff Brown.
“I wanted to wait and see today. The beauty of him is he likes firm or soft, so I think he could be that sort of smokey for that sort of race.”
A $10,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase from the Newhaven Park draft for Paul Willetts Bloodstock/Buffalo & Co Ltd, The Inferno was then bought by his trainer for $140,000 at Karaka Book 1 from the Westbury Stud draft.
Bred by Westbury Stud, The Inferno is the best of two winners from Spina Rosa, a placed three-quarter-sister-in-blood to Group I winner Lotteria.
Spina Rosa was covered by Pierro last spring.
The Inferno is one of 89 stakes-winners worldwide for former Coolmore shuttler Holy Roman Emperor (IRE), who shuttled his last few seasons in Australia to Aquis in Queensland, coming for the last time in 2018.
