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22.
Group One
Double on Derby Day
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04/11/2002 |
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Derby
Day at Flemington is acclaimed as one of the finest day's racing on the
Australian calendar and Inglis Graduates claimed victory in two of the three
showcase Group One events. Star colt HELENUS (2001 Easter $80,000) completed his
meteoric rise to fame with an exciting win in the VRC Victoria Derby Gr 1,
followed later in the day by super sprinter RUBITANO (1999 Premier $95,000), who
handed out a thrashing to his rivals in the VRC Seppelt Salinger Stakes Gr 1.
Helenus, the Derby Hero
Helenus has been one of the pin up horses for Inglis Graduates in recent weeks
and there is really very little left to say about his breeding and background. A
product of the legendary Widden Stud nursery and the lone winner for his
under-rated sire Helissio (FR), Helenus was purchased at Easter for just $80,000
by his trainer Leon Corstens on behalf of clients Dr Jos Xipell and his wife
Thecla.
Given the context of Easter, where the average price in 2001 was an all time
record high of $167,214, Helenus' moderate purchase price of just $80,000 can be
viewed as a bargain buy. The colt smashed through the million dollar barrier on
Saturday and now boasts the imposing record of four wins and three placings from
eight starts, with prizemoney of $1,738,000.
Leon Corstens, the man consistently tagged by the media as being "Bart
Cummings' former foreman" may have found the very best way to shed such a
label. Surely from now on he will be known as the man who took charismatic colt
Helenus from maiden status to champion three year old in just one glorious
spring.
Miss Zoe Snares Big One for Mares
The STC Coolmore Classic may be the only Group One event restricted to fillies
and older mares in Australia, but the VRC Nestle Peters Classic Gr 2, worth
$400,000 isn't far behind.
Victory went to the Sydney visitor MISS ZOE (1998 Classic $15,000) prepared by
Les Bridge, who blitzed her southern rivals with a thundering finishing burst
that took her from last on the turn to score by nearly three lengths.
Very few mares strike their best form at age six, but Miss Zoe has been near on
invincible of late, winning four of her last five starts and boosting her
winnings to a massive $884,658.
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