The $1million Magic Millions purchase Petronius shed his maiden stakes status as a rising seven-year-old in Saturday's Listed Ladbrokes Lightning Hcp (1000m) at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Michael McNab for Barry Lockwood, the son of Redoute's Choice made the most of his 6kgs pull in the weights over the gallant Exceed And Excel gelding Athelric to win by three-quarters of a length with the 6yo Exosphere gelding Deepour a length and a half back in third.
Appearing for the first time since winning over 1350m at Doomben on Christmas Eve, Petronius advances his record to seven wins, six seconds and four thirds from 26 starts with earnings of $472,355.
Trained initially by Gary Moore, Petronius has three wins and a second from four starts for Lockwood, who revealed the son of Redoute's Choice suffers terribly from travel sickness.
"If he was a traveller, he would be staying in Rockhampton, but he can't travel, so the owner sent him down here, and he's won three out of four now," Lockwood said.
"It happened to him after the Gold Coast when they called it off early (Magic Millions Day). We went down and back in a day, galloping him on the Monday, and he had a temperature of forty by Wednesday.
"He likes being here; he's happy.
"He could go to the Eyeliner. He'll be right for those trips. He's okay on the short ones. He'll be fine, it's just because we had to go down to the coast and back on the same day. He'll get that far, or we could just wait another week and run him here (Eagle Farm) in a 1400-metre race.
Bred by Arrowfield Stud and Cloros Bloodstock, Petronius was a $1million Magic Millions purchase for James Moore Racing. He ran for a syndicate that included Katsumi Yoshida, Arrowfield Stud, before being purchased by Livistona Grazing for $37,500 when offered by Arrowfield to the 2022 Inglis June (Late) Online Sale.
Petronius is a brother to Group II Danehill Stakes runner-up Raphael's Cat and Group III Sweet Embrace Stakes third Tale of Choice and a half-brother to Group II BRC Sires' Produce Stakes third Poert Louis (Maurice).
She is one of six winners from eight to race for the US Group II winner Cat by the Tale (USA), a daughter of Tale of the Cat (USA).
Cat by the Tale (USA) is still going strong. Her unraced 2yo The Autumn Sun filly Ella's World was a $550,000 purchase for Suman Hedge Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA) at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and her yearling colt by The Autumn Sun was a $200,000 purchase for Legend Racing at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
After foaling a filly by The Autumn Sun last spring, Cat by the Tale (USA) was covered by Maurice (JPN).
Petronius is the 181st stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud's late, great Redoutes Choice.
