Switzerland’s return to form in Saturday’s Group II Canadian Club Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill has set Coolmore a conundrum for their slot in The Everest next week.
It seemed likely that Storm Boy had earned the spot. Still, Switzerland was ultra-impressive in defeating the Golden Slipper runner-up Coleman (Pierata) by two lengths, with Yoshinobu (Written Tycoon) a head back in third.
The winner of his first three starts, culminating in the Group II Todman Stakes, Switzerland disappointed when injured in the Golden Slipper. Worries increased when the son of Snitzel finished at the tail of the field at his 3-year-old bow in the Run To The Rose, but Chris Waller was confident he had the colt back to his best.
“He’s a good colt. He just got himself worked up first-up, which is not him. It’s out of character,” Waller revealed.
He’s actually a beautiful-natured horse. We just had him too fresh first-up and we rode him too close. It just wasn’t a pretty moment.
“Today will give him a lot of confidence. He’s so close to being there. We asked him a lot at two, and then we asked him to come back at three and when they have a bad game, it’s all about getting your confidence up and scoring a goal. We did that in a trial without winning and we thought we had him back on track. But today will just take it to a new level.
“Speak to the Coolmore team (about The Everest); they’re a great group of owners.
“We had Yes Yes Yes in it and he won it. And this horse is every bit as good as Yes Yes Yes.”
Nash Rawiller agreed that Switzerland is back on track.
“What a colt! We all saw nothing went right for him (first-up),” Rawiller said.
“ So full credit to Chris and his team, they’ve got him here today in outstanding order and the right frame of mind to run well and he finished up in a beautiful spot. I loved the way he relaxed today and he was explosive when I went for him.
“I couldn’t believe they went that quick. It was a surprise to me. He was so push-button. We were able to take advantage of that and not get too far out of our ground but still travel in a beautiful rhythm. And I had a lot of horse underneath me by the time we got to the furlong.”
“He’s got a real x-factor about him. And today was my honour to ride him.”
Bred by Arrowfield Stud and Cloros Bloodstock, Switzerland advances his record to four wins from six starts with earnings of $617,700.
A $1,500,000 purchase for Tom Magnier from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Switzerland, is the first foal of the high-class Blame (USA) mare Ms Bad Behavior (CAN), a US$600,000 buy for Freyer Bloodstock at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
A 3-time winner and placed in eight of her 14 starts while banking over $500,000, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) was a Grade III winner at Kentucky Downs, and all eight placings came in stakes races.
A half-sister to stakes-winners One Bad Boy and Blessed Truly, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) has a 2-year-old brother to Switzerland, purchased by TFI for $550,000 from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
After foaling her third consecutive Snitzel colt last spring, Ms Bad Behavior (CAN) revisited the champion son of Redoude’s Choice.
