Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Farnan to win the Golden Slipper in 2020 and they are having plenty of fun with his first crop of two year-olds and produced a debut winner for the Kia Ora Stud based sire at Randwick on Wednesday with a tenacious victory for Farnicle.
Farnicle was well prepared for a first up tilt in the 1100m maiden with two recent trials under his belt and Regan Bayliss, who rode him at the trials, was keen to continue the association.
He was happy to let the speed go and sit in behind, before chiming in at the furlong with Wootton Bassett (GB) first starter Regulated Affair charging home late only to go down by half a head to Bayliss and Farnicle.
“His class got him through today and we’re really looking forward to seeing him once we can get him over that little bit further and once he sort of really starts to fully mature for us,” said Adrian Bott.
“He began well and he showed good tactical speed, but they were running some good sectionals there early and he was at his top just even to hold a position where he was. I thought he stuck on, the way he quickened to it off the back of that and the way he stuck on was really encouraging and the signs of a promising horse going forward.”
Farnicle has a pedigree that would suggest his three year-old season can be fruitful and the stable are already looking to the future.
“I guess you've always got Queensland as an option. I think anything here in the autumn may just sort of be a little bit too quick for him at this stage,” Bott said.
“So whether we do look to push on that far or as I said, or with knowing the profile, the type of horse that he is and whether we feel the job's done, this preparation and look to focus on a good break and then his three-year-old career, we'll just get over today first.”
Regan Bayliss is a fan of Farnicle.
“He's one of those horses that improves two or three lengths after each piece of track work and each trial, and he's still come to the races here today and got very hot and sweaty and still a little bit of a lad,” said Bayliss.
“I thought if he gets beat today he'll improve massively and be hard to beat next start, so I think it was just a real good string to his bow to be able to win today, and you know he's got stacks of room for improvement.
“He's just got the best attitude, he switched off a treat and went through his gears really well and he'll eventually get up to 1,400 and a mile and he's got an exciting future.”
Farnicle is the first foal from Group I New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles, who was bought by Kia Ora Stud for $800,000 on Gavelhouse to go to Farnan.
He made $600,000 at Inglis Easter when bought by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Bloodstock and Kia Ora remain in his ownership group along with TFI and a large group of stable clients.
By Galileo stallion Rip Van Winkle (IRE), Jennifer Eccles has since produced another filly by Farnan that passed in at Karaka this year and then a filly by I Am Invincible before going back to visit him again.
Farnicle is the sixth winner for Kia Ora Stud’s Golden Slipper winner Farnan, whose progeny are headed by Group III winner King of Pop and Group placed North England and Farcited.
