Billed as somewhat of a match race between Godolphin's Astern (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) and the Mick Price trained dual Group 1 winner Extreme Choice (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at Flemington threw up, as so often happens, a surprise outcome as Extreme Choice's stablemate Flying Artie (Aus) (Artie Schiller) exploded through the pack to take the spoils. As the gates opened and the field split, the previously unbeaten Russian Revolution (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) headed to the outside rail with James McDonald aboard race favourite Astern following him over, while the remainder of the field stayed in the middle of the course as Star Turn (Aus) (Star Witness {Aus}) took up the running. Jockey Hugh Bowman appeared content to pull Flying Artie back to the tail of the field early in the 1200m contest as Extreme Choice sat behind the race leader. As they approached the 400m mark, Extreme Choice came under pressure, while Astern was looking a serious challenge closer to the outside running rail. With 200m to travel, Star Turn was still in the lead but the challengers were bearing down, none more so than Flying Artie who cut through the field so quickly that he could record a length and a quarter victory in a time of 1.08.93, defeating the John O'Shea trained Astern with Star Turn from the Hawkes stable holding on for third a short head behind. “The horse has always been good,” Mick Price said. “He's had his excuses in the [G1] Blue Diamond but today just franks him as a stud colt. He's got a great autumn ahead of him.”
COOLMORE STUD STAKES-G1, A$502,500, VRC, 10-29, 3yo, 1200mT, 1:08.98, gd.
1–&FLYING ARTIE (AUS), 57.0, c, 3, by Artie Schiller
1st Dam: Flying Ruby (Aus) (SW-Aus, GSP-Aus $224,563), by Rubiton (Aus)
2nd Dam: Parkhill's Flyer (Aus), by Brigand
3rd Dam: Better Fantasy, by Better Boy (IRE)
(A$50,000 Ylg 2015 WI Sydney Easter Yearling Sale) O-Luskin Park Stud Racing Syndicate (Mgr: P F Whelan), Aston Bloodstock Syndicate (Mgr: W J Mula), Mrs R J Mula, J M
Whelan, S P Whelan, Ms C Morgan & Ms B M Whelan; B-Mr J Shannon VIC; T-M G Price; J-J Bowman; A$302,500. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-1, A$1,259,000. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: F.
2–Astern (Aus), 57.0, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Essaouira (Aus), by Exceed and Excel (Aus). O-Godolphin; B-Darley NSW; T-J A O'Shea; J-J B Mc Donald; A$90,000.
3–Star Turn (Aus), 57.0, c, 3, Star Witness (Aus)–Golden Delicious (Aus), by Made of Gold. (A$400,000 Ylg 2015 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale) O-A R Bell; B-Widden Stud Australia
Pty Ltd NSW; T-M, W & J Hawkes; J-D Dunn; A$45,000.
Margins: 1.3, 1.4, 2.2. Odds: 9/1, 9/5, 18/5.
Also Ran: Russian Revolution (Aus), Extreme Choice (Aus), Manolo Blahniq (NZ) , Derryn (Aus), Saracino (NZ).
A first Group 1 win for Flying Artie but a victory that the colt had previously demonstrated would be within his remit. The 3-year-old has been campaigned exclusively in pattern company in his six outings so far, getting off the mark in February in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield when beating Star Turn by a head. He was soundly beaten into second by stablemate Extreme Choice in the G1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond S. later that month before again running with great credit when third to 'TDN Rising Star' Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) in the G1 Longines Golden Slipper at Rosehill Mar. 19. He regained the winning thread when dropped in grade to land the G3 Blue Sapphire S. at Caulfield on his seasonal reappearance Oct. 12 and showed he had improved further from his juvenile season with a dominant display on Saturday. “He's a super horse, he's only going to improve as he matures further,” said jockey Hugh Bowman. “It's exciting for the future as that was a strong race,” he added.
Pedigree notes…
A son of GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller (El Prado {Ire}) and Australian stakes winner Flying Ruby (Aus) (Rubiton {Aus}), Flying Artie is the first stakes winner from six foals and three runners for the mare. Flying Ruby herself is the only stakes winner from eight winners for her dam Parkhill's Flyer (Aus) (Brigand) however Parkhill's Flyer is a half sister to a champion in Better Loosen Up (Aus) (Loosen Up) who numbered a G1 Cox Plate and G1 Australian Cup among his twelve victories. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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