Lightly raced five year old entire Apulia produced one of the best Perth Cup trials seen in years when he produced a finish Bernborough himself would have admired to take the weight for age G2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes at Ascot.
The 2023 G1 VRC Derby runner up and son of Melbourne Cup legend Fiorente relished the step up to the 2100m following an unplaced effort in the G1 Northerly Stakes 1800m at his first run in the state.
With WA's champion jockey Willie Pike taking the reins for the first time, Apulia swept to an ultra-impressive victory - and the big striding bay will surely find the 2400m of the Perth Cup on New Year’s Day even more to his liking!
At Flemington back in November 2023 Apulia was nosed out of a win in the G1 VRC Derby by the outstanding Riff Rocket (American Pharoah) who would go on to complete a rare double by taking the ATC version in the Autumn, his third win at the highest level. Riff was a champion, but tragically, in every owner’s nightmare, the dreaded colic was to take his life soon after.
Apulia stayed in Melbourne that Autumn and failed to return to winning form in three starts, but the following spring he was back in great form with a first up second over 1500m at The Valley followed by a third in the Listed Furphy Plate 1800m at Flemington on Cup Day .
Then misfortune struck - Apulia suffered the other dread of racehorse owners - the serious tendon injury.
Fortunately his life wasn’t in danger, but his career certainly was. It would take skill, dedication and patience to bring the horse back from this major setback.
He was in the right hands.
Apulia was bred by Meadowvale Pastoral and Revelstone Stud, and the talented stallion races for the Garrett family’s Revelstone Stud and Lindsay Park Bloodstock.
There wouldn't be many dodgy tendons that the Lindsay Park vets and staff, and the vast Hayes family storehouse of wisdom couldn't handle.
Apulia was off the scene for almost a year, but when he finally returned as a five year old it was obvious that not only was his tendon absolutely fine, he had regained the sparkling form of his earlier career.
Before his injury the colt had run second to subsequent G1 winner Veight in the G2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes as a juvenile, and had won the traditional Derby lead up, the G2 Vase at The Valley before meeting the Waller-trained superstar Riff Rocket in the big one.
There was only a short half head between the two colts at the end of that gruelling 2500m Classic, and they were clearly the two superior individuals in the field.
On his much anticipated return to racing Apulia strung together two impressive wins in Melbourne, the second of them in the time honoured Listed Chester Manifold Stakes at the Flemington mile.
Then it was off to Perth!
In the G1 Northerly Stakes the son of Fiorente just got too far back and couldn't make up ground on one of Ascot"s's notorious “leaderish” days, when the easterly wind blows.
What a different story this time!
Punters were backing the stable, the eastern states form and the Pike factor, installing Apulia as a hot favourite for the G2 staying feature.
Peters Investment's classy Diamond Scene (So You Think), runner up in last year's Perth Cup had plenty of fans getting out to a longer trip, as did the tough mare Admiration Express (My Admiration) who was smashed late in betting and sent out second favourite.
Last year's Van Heemst hero In Good Order (American Pharoah) hadn't been in the same rich vein of form as he was this time last year but was kept safe at 10/1 as was the Goldfields trained warhorse Sentimental Hero (Al Maher) who at eight years of age is in some of the best form of his entire career!
Last year's Perth Cup hero Hemlock Stone (Dalghar) just hasn't found his mojo this campaign and was friendless, ditto Grand Pierro (Pierro) - despite his third at Caulfield early in the spring to a pretty handy conveyance called Half Yours - he has since lost all form.
Red Sun Sensation (Awesome Rock) won the Listed Northam Cup then ran third in the Luckygray Stakes this prep, but had less than convincing form beyond 1800m and wasn't suited at WFA - pass, said the punters.
The horse they were a little wary of was the well bred Hoba West, a lightly raced 6yo gelding by Epaulette from the famous family of Blue Hen Skating (At Talaq)
The patiently handled gelding is trained by Summer Dickson out of Port Kennedy and this season has hit his straps when stepped out over 1600-1800m, registering three wins from his previous four starts.
But this was a huge step up in both class and distance as he tackled both Stakes class and a staying trip for the first time.
Cricket score odds were on offer for the dour handicappers Currimundi (Playing God) and iron mare Be Optimistic (Blackfriars) who has placed in the last two Perth Cups.
Hoba West for Shaun O'Donnell went straight to the front as soon as the barriers sprang in his usual fashion while Diamond Scene Admiration Express and Sentimental Hero all went forward with Grand Pierro on the rails
In Good Order sat midfield and Pike had Apulia third last with the reigning Perth Cup champ Hemlock Stone last.
The field travelled in this order for most of the race with only the roughie Red Sun Sensation making a mid race move round the outside.
Apulia was back to second last as Hoba West strode out nicely to lead them down the riverside.
Red Sun Sensation was now up third and covering ground. Suddenly Hemlock Stone was being sooled around them and Apulia was now a clear last at the 400m!
Punters were anxious! Hoba West was still going like a winner and kicked strongly into the straight. Diamond Scene was off off the bit now chasing, nothing much was making ground. Halfway down the straight Hoba west was clear of them and looked the winner but Pike had brought Apulia to the extreme outside - and he sprouted wings!
It was a barnstorming finish in the truest sense and saw Apulia win by just under a length on the line.
Hoba West ran a fantastic race for O'Donnell to hold second and the pair were three lengths clear of good old Sentimental Hero in third the best of the chasers and on track for another Cup tilt.
Stable representative for Lindsay Park Ammad Selime was pleased and relieved with the win.
“The horse has been thriving since he got here, he came back fantastic after the Northerly so we were pretty confident - the boys were certainly happy with him” he said.
“For sure he has the ability (to win a Perth Cup with a big weight) - he's already a G2 winner and we think he can be a G1 horse, so I don't think it's going to worry him ”
It was a seventh win in the G2 feature for Willie Pike
“Plan A was last the fence” joked the hoop.
“No actually I was hoping to hold box seat or at least be three back the fence. He's unreliable in the barriers… he's not naughty, doesn't do anything bad, just fiddles around enough that it costs you a good start. I thought we were going to be an unlucky second - but luckily for me we got away with it!”
His G2 Ted Van Heemst victory advances Apulia"s record to five wins and six placings from just eighteen lifetime starts which have netted $1,293,720 in career earnings.
Apulia was the first foal of the High Chaparral (IRE) mare Giannarelli, who placed once in only three starts, and is a half-sister to G2 Queensland Guineas third Spot The Rock (Fastnet Rock) out of the stakes-placed Fasliyev mare Can’t Hackit.
Her second was a filly by Pride Of Dubai born in 2021 Named Eyes Wide Shut and she is a winner.
The current 3yo out of Giannarelli, is the unraced Nicconi filly named Aradeo also in the Ben, Will and JD Hayes stable,
The daughter of High Chaparral has an unnamed 2yo colt by Nicconi, and a yearling filly by Lucky Vega.
There was no foal this season with the mare unfortunately missing to Rosemont Stud’s Shamus Award.
Giannarelli was a half sister to six winners from Can't Hackit, a daughter of Nureyev's champion juvenile Fasliyev from the G2 winning sprint mare Close Your Eyes (Geiger Counter)
The handy NZ bred racemare She's Unusual (Unusual Suspect) has Close Your Eyes as her fourth dam and is out of the dual Listed winning mare La Fille En Jeu (Montjeu)
Apulia's fifth dam is the G1 AJC Oaks winner Just Now who was top class, also claiming the 1986 WFA Turnbull Stakes among her five stakes victories.
The grey was bred at Queensland's famous Eureka Stud and sired by the mighty “Semi,” their champion stallion Semipalatinsk from the excellent producer Tautina.
This prolific family descends from the NZ bred Foxbridge daughter Honeywood, who was dam of the 1945 Melbourne Cup winner Foxzami and grand dam of the 1970 Doomben Cup / Stradbroke champion Divide And Rule.
It is a branch of family 19-c which traces to the jet black mare Moorhen, dam of champion sire Gallinule, who became one of the great broodmare sires of all time - sire of the legendary Blue Hen Pretty Polly .
Apulia's line descends from Gallinule's half sister Silver Wing.
Many famous Classic winners hailed from this tribe
Melbourne Cup winner Jeune is a member of this line and was a fantastic broodmare sire, as was Queen’s Hussar - his son Seventh Hussar is the damsire of Rubiton and sired the Blue Hen Denise's Joy.
An interesting present day descendant is twice US HOTY and World Champion Racehorse Curlin, the first stallion to ever sire three Breeders Cup Champions on the same day, two years in a row!
Apulia is bred
Danzig 5m,5m x
Northern Dancer x 4m,5m
Darshaan 5f x 4f
Mr Prospector x 5f,5m sex balanced
Blue Hen Special x 5f,5m sex balanced
His interesting pedigree sex balances Special's dam Thong as she is the dam of Geiger Counter, while both Fasliyev and Green Desert descend from Never Bend mares. Never Bend and three quarter brother Bold Reason out of Blue Hen Lalun are family 19b.
Fiorente descends from Simon's Shoes, the ancestress of Thong.
Fiorente was bred by Ballymacoll Stud.
From 20 starts the son of mighty Monsun won 6 races and banked more than $6 million in prizemoney
Foaled in 2008 , Fiorente was trained by Sir Michael Stoute in England and placed at Royal Ascot in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at three years.
Fiorente won a G2 at Newmarket at four before travelling to Melbourne and finishing second in the Melbourne Cup.
Sold privately for $1.2-transferred to Gai Waterhouse, at 5 years the remarkable stallion ran 3rd in the G1 All Aged Stakes 1400m, 3rd in the WS Cox Plate, won the G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam won the Melbourne Cup.
At six he won the G1 Australian Cup and ran third 3rd in the G1 BMW before retiring due to a tendon injury to Eliza Park / Sun Stud in Victoria, where he stood for most of his career. Fiorente spent his last two seasons at Widden Stud and died in 2023.
Gai Waterhouse loved Fiorente, He was her kind of horse - supremely talented, incredibly tough.
He was a "beautiful horse to train, so talented and handsome" she said upon his passing of her Melbourne Cup winner.
Widden’s Sales team member Phil Marshall who worked with Fiorente in Victoria, said of him
“Throughout his career he was able to produce horses with the same bravery and tenacity, which he had in spades.”
Fiorente’s sire the breedshaper Monsun also sired the Melbourne Cup heroes Almandin and Protectionist.
Apulia is one of eleven stakeswinners for his sire and one of four G2 winners the others being the fine staying mares Lunar Flare and Silent Surrente, and the Autumn Stakes winner Hawkshot.
His awesome Ted Van Heemst Stakes win has shot Apulia to the top of Perth Cup markets.
He will carry 58.5kg in the Cup - less than rival In Good Order and the same weight as Diamond Scene and Sentimental Hero.
Hoba West will drop to 53 5kg if he runs but that’s by no means a given.
Pounamu (Authorized) with 59 in 2018 and Truly Great (Dundeel) with 60 in 2021 both went downnarrowly in the Cup - had won the Ted Van Heemst going in.
The last horse to won with topweight was Bob Peter’s champion mare Delicacy (Al Maher) who carried 59kg to victory in 2016.
The weather will play a part - it was a perfect summer’s day at Ascot yesterday, that could turn to an unbearable inferno by New Year’s Day!
There is a fair bit of his sire Fiorente about Apulia.
He’s a big imposing type and a handsome athlete - in full flight he looks like an absolute galloping machine
Can he gallop away with a Perth Cup?
