Powerful Easter colt Wild Ruler – a juvenile which Newgate Farm’s Henry Field believes can be “the next Russian Revolution’’ – scored a dominant debut win in the $500,000 Listed Inglis Nursery at Randwick.
Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, Wild Ruler (Snitzel x Gypsy Robin) settled just behind the speed before displaying a strong turn of foot to career away for a comfortable victory, beating Encountabull (Bull Point) and Canadian Spice (Vancouver).
Prior to today’s race Wild Ruler – a $525,000 buy for Newgate Farm, China Horse Club and Winstar from Ananda Krishnan’s Kia Ora Stud (who also bred the colt) at this year’s Easter Sale - had won two trials “as easily as you can win a trial’’ for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden and was sent out a $3.50 TAB favourite as a result.
“He was untapped before today, you don’t know how good they’re going to be on race day but Kerrin [McEvoy] hopped off and said he felt like a real one,’’ Field said.
“He’s such an exciting colt, he’s a very well-bred horse and hopefully he heads down the right path and can become a stallion down the track.
“We’ve had a lot of luck buying Snitzel colts out of Easter, we bought Russian Revolution three years ago and Wild Ruler is in a very similar mould to that horse. Hopefully he can go on and do the job.’’
Wild Ruler (pictured) is owned by his buyers and some of the racing industry’s most influential players including Newgate SF, Go Bloodstock, G1g Racing, Nick Vass, Glenlogan Park, Aston Bloodstock and Grant Bloodstock.
The Nursery has provided two of the past six Golden Slipper winners in Mossfun and She Will Reign and co-trainer Paul Snowden hinted Wild Ruler would be given every chance to join the impressive list.
“He’s a very valuable colt but our job now is to get a big G1 win next to his name,’’ Snowden said.
“The Blue Diamond, the Slipper, all options are on the table at the moment but he’s a very talented horse, don’t worry about that.’’
The Snowdens won a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars as being a winning trainer of an Inglis Race Series event.
Wild Ruler firmed into $26 with the TAB for the Golden Slipper following today’s win.
Wild Ruler will be looking to become the sixth G1-winning 2YO for Inglis since 2018 and the 14th G1-winning colt in the same period.
The $2m Inglis Millennium also remains a possibility for Wild Ruler.
Connections are open to a $3m Inglis Triple Crown Bonus should they target the Millennium (1100m, Saturday February 8 at Warwick Farm).
Wild Ruler today joined Ideas Man (Inglis Banner winner last month) as the two juveniles alive in the race for the bonus, which will be awarded to connections of a horse that wins either the Banner or Nursery as well as the Millennium and the Inglis Sires (April 4, Randwick).
Elsewhere on today’s Randwick program Inglis graduates filled the trifecta in the Listed Razor Sharp Hcp as Signore Fox (Easter) beat Oriental Runner (Inglis Digital) and Glenall (Easter).
It was a third win from his past four starts for the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Signore Fox, who purchased the 4YO Exceed And Excel entire for $300,000 at the 2017 Easter Sale, from the Coolmore draft.
Signore Fox was bred by Drakenstein Stud and is raced by Joe Stambe.
And Morton’s Fork was a convincing winner of the Listed Christmas Cup at Randwick for trainer Richard Litt.
His Hinchinbrook half brother (ex Dilemmas) is lot 101 at next year’s Classic Yearling Sale, being offered by Valiant Stud.
To view his pedigree, CLICK HERE.
To view the Classic catalogue, CLICK HERE.
In Brisbane, Deep Image (Testa Rossa) won his first Stakes race when claiming the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes at Eagle Farm.
The 6YO is a graduate of Inglis Digital’s online auctions platform, selling for $25,000 in this year’s May auction.
Since then he has raced five times for three wins and two placings and earned almost $175,000 in prizemoney.
