Runner-up to Fake Love in the Listed Debutant Stakes and to General Beau in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview last season, Extreme Warrior blew past his better-fancied stablemate Profiteer to make it Wednesday’s $200,000 Group III Catanach's Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield a walk in the park.
Coming off a facile victory in a maiden at Echuca at his 3yo debut on October 1, the son of champion first season sire Extreme Choice travelled sweetly under Zac Spain following a fired-up Profiteer.
When Spain released the brakes, Extreme Warrior put the race to bed in a matter of strides. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt defeat Profiteer (Capitalist) by a widening three and three-quarter lengths with a further three and a quarter lengths back to Minsk Moment (I Am Invincible) in third.
“A quinella is a quinella. They both ran well. I’ve just got to keep thinking about Profiteer but Extreme Warrior was very good,” Price said.
“If these are the horses that are going to the Coolmore (Stud Stakes) and this is the race that you use, why wouldn’t you be confident about Extreme Warrior?
“He stood up and stood up very strongly. He wasn’t challenged and ran a strong 1200 metres and will turn up in the Coolmore.
“Let’s hope he is going to go up and up and up, and that Profiteer has been beaten by a very smart horse. There’s a little bit of work to do on that one.
“I certainly don’t want to give up (on Profiteer) because the Coolmore is worth so much being a stallion. I’ll be no doubt thinking about this at 1am tomorrow sitting bolt upright.”
Purchased by Mick Price Racing/Dermot Farrington $160,000 from the Glenlogan Park Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Extreme Warrior is a half-brother to the Listed MVRC Atlantic Jewel Stakes winner Thrillster (Starspangledbanner) and the stakes-placed Free Thrills (Unencumbered).
His dam Heart of Thrills (Show a Heart) is a three-quarter-sister to dual Group III winner Gotta Have Heart and the (RL) winner
Crossyourheart, the dam of Spendthrift Farm’s young Redoute’s Choice stallion Swear.
Heart of Thrills has an unraced 2yo by I Am Invincible named Skidamarink who was a $1,200,000 purchase by Rosemont Stud at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Not bad for a mare that was purchased by Stanton Thoroughbreds for $9,000 from the Three Bridges Thoroughbreds draft at the 2012 Inglis March Thoroughbred Sale before selling to Steve Morley for $200,000 from the Newgate draft at the 2018 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale..
Heart Of Thrills foaled a Written Tycoon filly on September 2.
Extreme Warrior becomes the fourth stakes-winner from the first crop of 48 foals by Newgate Farm’s Champion First Season Sire and Champion 2yo Sire, Extreme Choice.
