Bonny mare September Run (Exceed And Excel) returned to the G1 winner's circle in dominant style on Friday night, storming to victory in the G1 William Reid Stakes over 1200m.
A $380,000 purchase for Hermitage Thoroughbreds at the Premier Yearling Sale from the Blue Gum Farm draft, it’s the 4YO’s second G1 win following her success in the Coolmore Stud Stakes in the Spring of 2020.
Bred by Greg and Jenny White’s Alpara Lodge and trained by Chris Waller, September Run has raced at black type level in 17 of her 19 starts, with tonight’s victory taking her earnings past the $2.2 million mark.
It capped off a huge night for Phil and Patti Campbell of Blue Gum Farm, who were trackside earlier in the evening to cheer home their 2021 sale-topper Crosswinds (Written Tycoon) in the Listed Valley Pearl Stakes, who defeated fellow Blue Gum graduate Nanagui (Sebring).
“It has been a wonderful night,” Phil Campbell said.
“To quinella the 2YO feature and see September Run back to her best was just fantastic.
“September Run is such a consistent mare, she ran so well in the G1 Newmarket last start to finish third and I thought she was in with a very good chance tonight, even though Moonee Valley has been a tricky track for her in the past.
“I remember her well as a yearling, she was very popular at Inglis Premier and was a neat, tidy and correct filly, a short-stepping sprinting type and that’s how she races too."
Staunch supporters of Inglis Premier for 40 years, Blue Gum Farm broke new ground in 2021 with their first seven figure yearling, a son of Written Tycoon and Gimcrack Stakes-winning filly Gybe on behalf of Rob Crabtree’s Dorrington Farm.
A year and one week later that colt - now known as Crosswinds - broke his maiden at Ballarat for Anthony and Sam Freedman and tonight made it two from two in the Listed Valley Pearl.
“He is such a professional colt,” Campbell said.
“I saw his two trials and his winning debut and he’s just improved all the way through, tonight I watched him in the parade ring, the saddling paddock and going onto the track and he never turned a hair.
“He beat Nanagui (Sebring) who we sold to Rosemont Stud in the same draft for $450,000, the equal second-highest priced filly of the sale.
“She’s out of G3 winner Shamalia and has raced at Stakes level in all three starts, finishing runner-up every time, both her and Crosswinds are exciting 2YOs to follow.
“I’ve been in touch with James (Harron) and he’s absolutely rapt that his confidence in Crosswinds has paid off and hopefully for James and his partners this colt is a G1 winner-in-waiting.
“It’s also satisfying for breeder Dorrington Farm, Crosswinds was Rob’s first million dollar yearling too and just adds to the success we’ve already shared with Semillion – a $300,000 colt from the 2021 draft who won the Inglis Banner.
“That’s the most pleasing thing for me, it’s all well and good to sell yearlings for big money in the sale ring, but ultimately it’s about racetrack results and we’ve had such a good run with high-priced yearlings.
“You’ve got to celebrate nights like this that’s for sure!”
In other feature racing on the card, multiple G1 winner Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt) enhanced her Chairman’s Sale credentials with an effortless all-the-way win in the G2 Sunline Stakes over 1600m.
Out of an O’Reilly mare, the 5YO has amassed $1.3 million in prizemoney and will be one of many headline acts in the Chairman's Sale in what promises to be another spectacular night of selling at Riverside on Friday, May 6.
The Chairman'a catalogue will be announced on Sunday.
Supplementary entries will remain open until Friday, April 22.
To enter a mare, contact a member of the Inglis Bloodstock Team or CLICK HERE.
