A winner of the Listed McKenzie Stakes on this day last year, outstanding Harry Angel 4yo Angel Capital remained unbeaten first-up, winning the Listed MVRC Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) in dominant fashion.
Secured by Yulong in February this year after resuming with a classy win in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes, the colt was unfortunately scratched on race day morning when set to start the favourite in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).
Content to settle towards the tail of the field, jockey Damian Lane allowed Angel Capital to race where comfortable and having had previous form at the track and trip, clearly there was no need to change things up.
As Red Hot Nicc (Nicconi) went forward, ensuring there was a solid temp up front, Lane was content to just track along before needing to make his run.
Travelling along the inside rail with roughie The Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) to his immediate outside, as soon as that gelding put up the white flag, Lane asked for an effort and the response awas immediate and explosive as Angel Capital pulled himself to the outside of the field to make his run.
In an instance, Angel Capital joined the leaders and extended past them with utter ease, pulling away to score by three and three quarter lengths, recording his fifth win from just eight starts and fourth at black type level, taking his earnings to $706,750.
Speaking on behalf of the Waller stable, Charlie Duckworth was pretty pleased with Angel Capital as connections now look to target a Group 1 victory for him.
“He's a beautiful horse but he just wants to please,” said Duckworth.
“It was very important that we got the little things right today and Damian gave him a beautiful ride. He was nice and soft on him early and when he wanted to open him up, he was there ready to explode on the scene.
“It's an exciting win. Being a colt, his primary target is to try and get that Group 1. We'll leave that to Chris, exactly where we'll go, but based on that he looks like he's going to measure up anyway."
Having been with the stable for quite a few months now, Duckworth is under no illusion what the future holds for the stallion prospect.
“He had a fantastic record, so that's obviously why Yulong stepped in. We're just trying to continue on that form, maintain that form and if we can get a Group 1 for them, it would be great to get that win for a stallion at stud."
With races like the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) on September 26 and Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on September 20 as options for Angel Capital, Duckworth wasn’t ruling anything out.
“It's interesting. I think the distance is all dependent on how he does things in the early stages.
“With this first run he may settle better next time and whether you stay at 1200 (metres) or whether we go to 1400. That's basically what needs to be worked out and found out, but it's an exciting problem to have."
Looking at the form of the 4yo, clearly Lane understood the ability that the Yulong owned runner had.
“He's a lovely looking specimen, as you can see, and he's got the ability to match."
“Just exactly that, he's electric. He just floated a little bit when I gave him a squeeze and then within a few strides he was off and gone.
“That turn of foot's going to hold him in good stead in some good races going forward."
“He's right up there. He's having a good blow as you can see there, he's been off the scene for a little while, so I think that run could really bring him on.
“Hopefully that's the case and he's going to be right up there and competitive in some Group 1s.”
Bred by David Peacock, Angel Capital was offered through the draft of Mill Park Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier yearling sale, knocked down to Gregory Ho and Upper Bloodstock for $400,000.
One of three stakes winner for the Group 1 placed Teofilo mare Bahamas, Angel Capital joins Group 2 MVRC Moonee Valley Vase winner Berkeley Square and the Group 3 ATC Frank Packer Plate winner Senor Toba, also a runner-up in the Group 1 Queensland Derby and third in the Group 1 Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin.
Bahamas foaled a colt by Blue Point the following season with the now gelding 3yo still unraced, while unfortunately the mare’s Pinatubo filly died the following season.
Having since produced a colt by Blue Point once again, the mare is due to foal this season to Harry Angel with the resultant foal a full relation to the four-time stakes winner Angel Capital.
Angel Capital is one of 20 stakes winners for Harry Angel (Dark Angel) headed locally by Group 1 winners Tom Kitten, War Machine and the Everest bound Private Harry, with the Darley Kelvinside-based sire standing at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST) this season.
