Winning trainer Gary Portelli was looking forward to this week’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale immediately after Arctic Thunder landed the Davali Thoroughbreds Cup (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The progressive 4yo mare is a daughter of Vinery sire Headwater and was purchased by Darby Racing for just $30,000 from Vinery Stud (as agent) at the 2019 Inglis Classic Sale. The latest win improved her bank-balance to $320,000.
“She knows how to find the line and hopefully we can bid for a few more like her this week,” Portelli said. “Full credit to Jason (Collett) for a top ride. The plan was to sit out wider thinking they would run along but they slowed up. Jason cut the corner and then came off the rails to push her through a gap at the furlong
“Once she got on the right leg, I knew it was all over.”
Arctic Thunder overhauled Fleetwood Maca (NZ) for her 8th win in 20 starts. “She has a great strike-rate and is an honest mare,” Collett said. “She likes give in the ground and the Soft 5 suited today. We played our cards right staying on the inside and it was a good, gutsy win.”
There’s substantial residual value being the first foal of Arctic Success (Big Brown). The dam is a half-sister to Golden Slipper Stakes Gr.1 winner Polar Success and is off to a promising stud career of her own for Vinery partner Greg Perry.
Her 3yo filly Roots (Press Statement) won a Goulburn maiden in September prior to a Group 2 placing in the Reginald Allen Hcp at Randwick on Everest Day. Trainer Chris Waller has nominated Roots to resume in a Benchmark 72 over 1200m at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Arctic Success has an unraced 2yo filly named Star Mistress (Star Turn) with Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and her yearling colt by Star Turn has been catalogued as Lot 54 by Vinery (as agent) for the Inglis Easter Sale on April 5.
Her latest foal for the Vinery partners is a colt from the first crop of Vinery’s Group 1 winning sprinter Exceedance.
