Making his debut off a recent barrier trial victory, Anthony and Sam Freedman’s 2yo colt Wolf Gap defeated the favourite at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, becoming the first Australian winner for Kingman’s European Champion Miler Palace Pier (GB).
Sporting the Roll The Dice silks that will also be worn in Saturday’s G1 Blue Diamond by Home Affairs colt House Guest, jockey Nash Rawiller jumped the colt away from the barriers before allowing him to drift back towards the tail.
As race outsider Cool Art led the field into the home straight, the Michael Freedman trained race favourite Naadra took the lead while Nash had come to the outside of the field where he was starting to make up ground.
With the pair pulling away from the rest of the field, Wolf Gap got the better of Naadra on the line, recording a narrow, but promising debut victory with more than three lengths to the third placegetter Lorax.
Interestingly, this race 12 months ago has become a great form reference with future stakes performers King Of Pop defeating Savvy Hallie with Burma Star and Napoleonic finishing in fourth and sixth respectively.
Stable rep Scott Innes was on hand to discuss the colt's performance post-race.
“His Canterbury trial was very good, and we were very impressed after that….he shows a lot at home, and very happy to get a result,” said Innes.
Riding the colt for the first time on race day, jockey Nash Rawiller was suitably impressed by the win.
“He's shown the team good ability at home and still sort of trying to learn by his mistakes, so to speak,” said Rawiller.
“You know, I feel like he's been able to come here today and probably do a couple things wrong and still show the will and determination to win the race, which I think is very important.
“Great effort and definitely a horse on the way up.”
Purchased for $280,000 by Anthony Freedman Racing, Julian Blaxland Bloodstock, ARJB Racing and De Burgh Equine from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale, the Arrowfield Group and Cloros Bloodstock bred Wolf Gap is the fourth winner from four to races out of the Snitzel mare Bandol.
Wolf Gap is a half-brother to Katsumi Orochi (Maurice) who was transferred to the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable after his impressive debut performance when finishing third in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude, with eventual G1 Blue Diamond winner Devil Night in second.
Bandol who is herself a daughter of dual G1-winning Argentinian mare Miss Match, has a yearling, full brother to Katsumi Orochi before unfortunately missing to Pierro before being covered by Arrowfield Stud’s new shuttler and dual G1 winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey).
The current yearling by Maurice will be offered at the Magic Millions March Yerling Sale by Kenmore Lodge on behalf of Arrowfield Stud, selling as Lot 65.
With his first crop yearlings selling up to $475,000 last year, Palace Pier has only been represented by two Australian runners with the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Regal Ambition the only other runner to date, finishing a narrow second on debut last Saturday.
Covering 97 mares in his first Australian season at a fee of $55,000 (inc. GST), five time G1 winner Palace Pier has unfortunately not shuttled back to Australia since with Darley stating the reason being that at the time it was ‘in the best welfare interests of the horse’.
