Harry Angel lands first stakes winner from first southern hemisphere runner

Darley shuttler Harry Angel made the perfect start with his first southern hemisphere-bred two-year-old to take to the track, as the Ben and JD Hayes-trained Arkansaw Kid secured an authoritative win on debut in the A$500,000 Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

The win in the Restricted Listed Inglis feature was Harry Angel’s first stakes winner in either hemisphere.

Jumping in a perfect line of six, Arkansaw Kid showed good speed from barrier three to travel on the outside of the early leaders Sailor’s Rum and Mexico, who left the inside gates.

After turning for home together, Arkansaw Kid saw off the weakening Sailor’s Rum but had to work to overhaul Mexico, who in the James Harron Bloodstock silks delivered a brave challenge to the winner, but the son of Harry Angel prevailed to win by a half-length.

The 1000 metres was covered in a time of 1:01.62 seconds on the Heavy 8 track, the slowest time recorded in the brief eight-year history of the race.

“It was a very good effort. He was three-wide the trip and he got there. He was very green,” JD Hayes said.

“He trialed up well and he was well found in the market and that was just a tough win, it was good.”

In addition to the A$300,000 first prize, Arkansaw Kid’s all-female owners collected the A$200,000 Pink Lady bonus, an initiative introduced earlier this year by auction house Inglis in a bid to encourage more women into racehorse ownership.

An A$190,000 buy for Lindsay Park from the Sledmere Stud draft at the Inglis Classic sale, Arkansaw Kid, who sports the famed silks of Rupert Legh, is eligible for further Inglis riches and Pink Lady bonuses that are up for grabs, including the Inglis Nursery, Inglis Sprint and Inglis Millennium - the A$2 million juvenile race held in February.

“I like [the Harry Angels] a lot,” Hayes said. “And it's good to collect the bonus for being an all-ladies horse. For him to go and pick up the prize-money on offer was a great start to his career.

“We’ll see how he holds together, the prize-money on offer is incredible and I thank Inglis for putting that on, but the horse comes first and we’ll see if he can handle the racing at this stage.”

Arkansaw Kid is the third winner and sixth named foal from Sydney metropolitan winner Florabella, herself a daughter of Coolmore Classic winner Shindig and three-quarter sister to CF Orr Stakes scorer Shinzig and dual Listed winner Strada.

Florabella has a yearling filly by Harry Angel and produced a colt by the stallion earlier this month.

Harry Angel, who in the northern hemisphere has 21 first-crop winners from 49 starters, including three stakes placegetters, stands at Kelvinside Stud for a fee of A$16,500 (inc GST).

His progeny in the southern hemisphere sold for up to A$460,000 at yearling sales earlier this year, with buyers including Chris Waller, Freedman Racing, Peter and Paul Snowden and McEvoy-Mitchell Racing.

Two-year-old racing was also staged in Sydney yesterday with the running of the Kirkham Plate at Randwick.

Siblings to Golden Slipper winner Fireburn, multiple Group 1 scorer Bivouac, JJ Atkins Plate winner Converge and Caulfield Guineas hero Golden Mile were among the field of ten, but it was Godolphin’s Barber that prevailed and banked the A$76,000 winning cheque.

Harry Angel: top notch on the track and promising sireCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Barber, one of five horses in the race for Godolphin, won by a long neck ahead of Converge’s half-brother Coincide, with the Cassandra Stummer-trained Shine Your Light a length and a half from the winner in third.

“It’s a credit to the team the way these five horses turned up today and acquitted themselves in a professional manner,” said Godolphin representative Darren Beadman.

“He was ridden with confidence [by Blake Shinn], and gave the horse a chance, settled in behind and went through his gears nicely.”

The Golden Gift beckons on November 5 for Barber, should he pull through his winning debut effort in good order.

“He only trialed on Tuesday, but that just sharpened him up. He’s got a great constitution,” Beadman said. “A lot can change in 24 hours with two-year-olds, but he’s a horse that conserves energy and has a nice turn of foot and is very professional. The team will step out the right ones when the day comes.”

Barber is the fifth and final foal out of Listed-winning mare Trim and a brother to Group 3 winner Manicure.

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