December might be the month when Magic Millions contenders are the talk of the town, but the $400,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) to be run at Randwick this Saturday has produced some top class winners in the past so with a big field of 15 engaged it’s well worth a closer look at these untapped babies.
Subsequent Golden Slipper winner Mossfun won the Inglis Nursery in 2013 and two years after that it was Blue Diamond winner Extreme Choice putting his name on the honour roll followed by another Golden Slipper winner in She Will Reign.
Group I winning sprinter Wild Ruler won it in 2019 and last year it was Ciaron Maher and David Eustace claiming victory with brilliant Fastnet Rock colt Acrobat, who sadly has not raced since due to significant injury, but is back in training.
Race favourite this year is also trained by Maher and Eustace in Brazen Beau colt Boldhino, a $90,000 Inglis Premier purchase. He opened his career with a good second to boom filly Ebhaar in the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes and has drawn ideally in gate three.
Debut winners Athletica (Exceed and Excel) and Calgary Stampede (Snitzel) have already produced the goods on raceday, the latter racing in the same China Horse Club colours carried by Wild Ruler.
A $350,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Newgate Farm draft, Calgary Stampede looked good winning at Rosehill, but has drawn poorly in gate 14. Tommy Berry to ride may offset that disadvantage in a field of largely unraced runners, so don’t be surprised to see him in the finish.
Most expensive unraced runner is I Am Invincible colt Himalaism, a $950,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Tom Magnier from the Vinery Stud draft.
Trained by Chris Waller, Himalaism finished second in his only trial and is certainly bred to go fast being a half-brother to Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate winner Hard Landing from speed demon and Group I winner Snitzerland.
The horse that beat Himalaism in his trial is an interesting runner for Mark Newnham in Wild Irish Rover, a $260,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Byron Rogers from the Twin Hills Stud draft.
He is the most expensive colt sold this year by Coolmore shuttler No Nay Never (USA), who is a lot better sire than his record in Australia would suggest.
Wild Irish Rover is from talented Fastnet Rock mare Fast and Sexy, who was placed in the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes at two and it’s probably worth noting that No Nay Never had had two Australian bred stakes-winners in Need I Say More and Lady of Honour and both are out of Fastnet Rock mares.
First season sire Merchant Navy has a blue-blooded filly engaged in The Seven Seas, who has shown good ability in her two trials for John Sargent, but has been done no favours wither barrier coming up with gate 13.
A $280,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Segenhoe draft for Mark Pilkington Bloodstock, The Seven Seas is a half-sister to $3.3million earning filly Away Game and stakes-winning juvenile Modern Wonder.
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