When Direct finished third in the Silver Slipper Stakes won by Home Affairs, Lloyd Kennewell believed he had a stallion prospect, but when the son of Siyouni failed to live up to expectations, he was gelded – and it may have been the making of him.
Direct will head to the Gold Coast in January with three consecutive wins after a dominant performance in the $175,000 Magic Millions 3&4YO Ballarat Classic (1100m).
With the field heading to the outside fence on a deteriorating track, the 4yo son of Siyouni found enough under Zac Spain to defeat the 3yo Deep Field filly A Little Deep by one and a quarter lengths with the 3yo Capitalist filly Penhouse a half-length back in third.
A $400,000 purchase for Kennewell Racing/Group 1 Bloodstock P/L (FBAA) from the Yarraman Park Stud draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Direct advances his record to four wins, five seconds and three thirds from 15 starts with earnings of $354,225.
Lloyd Kennewell said it was a tough decision to geld Direct.
“It’s a shame. I thought he was one of the best colts in the sale when I bought him,” Kennewell said
“I paid $400,000 for him. I specked him, I had no owners for him. I do that a lot, though.
“He’s a 20 or 30 million dollar colt if he had won a Group 1, but he’s not. Here we are now, everyone’s happy, and he’ll be on the float to the Gold Coast.
“Zac executed my plan perfectly, and it was a painless watch.
“I had to turn the radio and TV off. Everyone was saying he couldn’t run 1100m, but he was clearly the best horse in the race, and won like it.”
“The Snippets (on Magic Millions Day) is a race I have won with Viddora. He’s a different horse to her. She was going there as a Group 1 winner. This horse is a good horse and he is progressive. We’ll head up there, he likes a bit of the warm weather, and we can enjoy it with a nice team going up there.”
Bred by Dalanna Bloodstock, Foxwood Stables, Direct is the first foal of the War Front mare Upfront (USA), a daughter of the Group II Blandford Stakes winner and Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Up (Galileo).
Yarraman will consign a half-sister to Direct, from the first crop of Yes Yes Yes, to the Magic Millions in January. (Lot 512).
