The recipient of a perfect ride from Kerrin McEvoy, former Ballydoyle galloper The United States outstayed favored Hauraki to become the 55th worldwide Group/Grade I winner for his wildly successful sire in the Ranvet, the first of five top-level races Saturday at Rosehill.
Winner at three of the G3 Enterprise S. at Leopardstown, the chestnut was victorious just once in his first seven starts following his import to Australia for two-time G1 Melbourne Cup winner Lloyd Williams and earned his first big-race success with a half-length defeat of Prince of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) in last year's G2 Moonee Valley Cup over 2500 meters at the Melbourne track Oct. 24. Never a factor when 14th to that same rival in the Melbourne Cup 10 days later, the Williams runner was spelled, returning to be a running-on fifth behind Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G1 Futurity S. at Caulfield Feb. 27. Narrowly beaten in the G2 Blamey S. at Flemington just last weekend, The United States was reported to be kicking down the walls and was green-lighted for the trip up to Sydney.
Dropped out the back of the field to race in a joint-last position early on, The United States was ridden patiently by McEvoy as longshot Bohemian Lily (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) crossed Mongolian Khan (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to set the pace with Dibayani (Ire) (Shamardal) a handy third. Kool Kompany (Ire) (Jeremy) was allowed to roll up by Craig Williams to prompt the pace, while Criterion and Hauraki settled slightly worse than midfield. Bohemian Lily held the call as the field swung off of the home turn, but McEvoy sent The United States between the mare and a one-paced Mongolian Khan with a furlong and a half to race. Hauraki found room just to the inside of Storm the Stars (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and looked to have a full head of steam, but The United States held sway in the run to the line. Criterion loomed up wide turning for home, but peaked on his run and settled for third while prepping for a title defense in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. Apr. 9.
“I'm not sure I was confident but the horse came through last week well and just bounced straight off it and that made the decision very easy to come up here,” Nick Williams, speaking on behalf of the ownership group, told AAP. “We would not have brought him if he wasn't in perfect order even off that hard race.
Connections indicated the Ranvet would mark the end of this prep for The United States.
“He is very, very tough, you saw he had seven runs in the spring he can go to the paddock now as a Group 1 winner and we can get him ready for the [G1] Cox Plate,” Williams said.
The winner's dam, a dual group winner in France, foaled a full-sister to The United States in 2014 and is the dam of a yearling colt by Galileo (Ire).
Saturday, Rosehill, Australia
RANVET S.-G1, A$707,000, ATC, 3-19, 3yo/up, Open Weight For Age, 2000mT, 2:03.17, Good.
1–&THE UNITED STATES (IRE) , 59.0, h , 6, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Beauty is Truth (IRE) (MGSW-Fr, €172,000), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Zelding (IRE), by Warning (GB)
3rd Dam: Zelda (IRE), by Caerleon (USA)
O-N C Williams, Mr & Mrs L J Williams, P M Mehrten, B N
Singer, V J Sammartino, Echo Beach Bloodstock P/L, M S
Gudinski, J & Mrs F Ingham & Heffernan Bloodstock; B-Beauty
Is Truth Syndicate, IRE; T-Robert Hickmott; J-K Mc Evoy;
A$427,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Ire, 16-6-3-1, A$834,521.
*1/2 to Fire Lily (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), Ch. 3yo Filly Sprinter-Ire,
MGSW & G1SP-Ire, G1SP-Fr & GSP-Eng, £259,847. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]2–Hauraki, 59.0, g, 4, Reset–Youthful Presence, by Dehere
(USA). O-Godolphin; B-Darley NSW; T-J A O'Shea; J-J B Mc
Donald; A$140,000.
3–Criterion (NZ), 59.0, h , 5, Sebring–Mica's Pride, by Bite the
Bullet (USA). O-Sir O G Glenn; B-Go Bloodstock New Zealand
Ltd, Waikato, NZ; T-David Hayes & Tom Dabernig; J-M J
Walker; A$70,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]Margins: 0.8 len, 4.1 len, 4.2 len. Odds: 4.50, 2.30, 4.00.
Also Ran: Dibayani (IRE), Mongolian Khan, Weary (FR), Bohemian Lily (NZ), Kool Kompany (IRE), Storm the Stars (USA).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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