Victorian trainer buys up big for 2017 Melbourne Cup
IT’S never too early to start thinking about the 2017 Melbourne Cup and Victorian trainer Sam Pritchard-Gordon has spent up large at the Tattersalls Autumn horses in training sale in the UK.
Pritchard-Gordon purchased three-year-old gelding Yangtze for 185,000 guineas in the hopes to have a future Melbourne Cup runner.
The former Sir Michael Stoute-trained runner has a timeform rating of 103 and is a two-time winner from 10 starts in the UK.
“This horse will cost me around $AUD280,000, but if he wins a Group three he will get all of that back, the prizemoney is so good in Australia,” Pritchard-Gordon said. “And there is such a lot of interest in owning horses – everyone wants to be a part of a syndicate.
“The dream for all is to have a (Melbourne) Cup horse – and so now is the time of year to capitalise on that. This horse has some substance, is an improver and by Dansili will suit.”
Pritchard-Gordon will line up Soviet Secret in the XXXX Gold Maiden Plate at Pakenham on Thursday where the capable filly is currently paying $2.70 to win at Sportsbet.
Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller have also been active in buying potential Melbourne Cup-type runners. Waterhouse spent 270,000 guineas for Imperial Aviator on the first day of the sale.
Agent Johnny McKeever, representing Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, had to out-bid the likes of Chris Waller and Roger Charlton to secure the son of Paco Boy.
“He is a gorgeous horse, the outstanding lot of the day,” McKeever said. “He is an attractive stayer and we could not leave him behind. You would not know that he had a run just two days ago.
“We have been lucky here for Gai before, and bought Group one winners Glencadam Gold and The Offer, let’s hope the luck continues with this horse.”
Waller purchased a total of seven European runners with the most expensive coming on Tuesday. Waller paid 90,000 guineas for Rex Bell, a three-year-old colt by Dubawi which won one race from eight starts for former trainer John Gosden.