New Sprint Star Possibility To Europe From Oz

G

Grand Armee

At the Start
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Apr 23, 2005
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Australia's most popular racehorse, Apache Cat, is looking like a major possibility to be sent to the UK this July.

The 5yo gelding, won his second consecutive Group 1 race, over 6f yesterday at Moonee Valley. Rated as the favourite, the gelding sat off the speed, before trouncing the opposition over the line, with jockey Corey Brown, dropping his whip over the line.

Yesterdays win took the gelding's prize money to over $2.3 million in stakes, and 13 wins from 29 starts. It was also his third Group 1 win in his career.

The horse defies the old saying:
ONE white leg, buy him.
TWO white legs, try him.
Three white legs, send him far away. (Sell him to your foes)
Four white legs, keep him not a day. (Feed him to the crows)

Here are some pictures of this wonderful and illustrious horse.

cnApacheCat_narrowweb__300x338,0.jpg

Photo courtesy of Vince Caligiuri at The Age

r7apachecat5.jpg

Photo courtesy of Quentin J Lang at The Virtual Formguide

cat_cream_wideweb__430x374.jpg

Photo courtesy of Vince Caligiuri at The Age

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Photo courtesy of NA Murray

Apache-Cat3.jpg

Photo courtesy of Jenny Barnes
 
A wonderful looking horse, GA. His markings, especially his blaze are very eye catching.
 
Originally posted by Kathy@Feb 16 2008, 10:24 PM
A wonderful looking horse, GA. His markings, especially his blaze are very eye catching.
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:eek: Do you really think so? He's about the most ugly looking creature I've ever seen (well not strictly true, but that's another story). Looks more like the Phantom of the Opera than a bloody race horse!!!
 
Originally posted by Venusian+Feb 16 2008, 11:16 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Venusian @ Feb 16 2008, 11:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> A very impressive turn of foot, but is he really more popular than Takeover Target? [/b]
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<!--QuoteBegin-Venusian@Feb 16 2008, 11:16 PM
A very impressive turn of foot, but is he really more popular than Takeover Target?[/quote]
Both are extremely popular, but from the scenes at Moonee Valley yesterday, I would have to say the A Cat is far more popular by any stretch of the run.
His fan club have created hats, t-shirts, etc.

Even all the other trainers, including David Hayes and Lee Freedman have made notable mention of how much they love the look of this animal.

He is one of the best looking animals I have ever seen. You don't get more intriguing than him.
 
Originally posted by Warbler+Feb 16 2008, 10:51 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Warbler @ Feb 16 2008, 10:51 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-Kathy@Feb 16 2008, 10:24 PM
A wonderful looking horse, GA.  His markings, especially his blaze are very eye catching.
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:eek: Do you really think so? [/b][/quote]
Yes, I really think so, Warbler! :D
 
I read some stuff somewhere the other day about Apache Cat's schedule for the rest of the year, but there was no mention of Royal Ascot.

Does any one know if that's off the agenda now?

I know the horse likes a bit of a gap between his races, so maybe coming to Ascot for just one race doesn't appeal so much.
 
His whole program has now been changed. The trainer, Greg Eurell (who actually rode in the Olympics in Korea I believe) has decided to bypass the Newmarket Handicap (where he was practically weighted out of the event), in favour of the $1 million TJ Smith Stakes over 6f in Sydney at Group 1 WFA level. He will then to Brisbane in May for the Group 1 BTC Sprint, a $500,000 WFA race.

Instead of Royal Ascot, he is going to Japan for the Sprinters Stakes. There is a likely possibility that he will meet the Hong Kong super horse, Sacred Kingdom.
I believe Absolute Champion also is targetting that race now too.

So the aim now is WFA events and not Handicap races. A real shame that he is not going to the Newmarket Handicap now, because he would have met another champion in the making, Weekend Hussler (a 3yo who won by almost 3 lengths in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate on Saturday against the older horses). It would have been a fantastic race.
 
More of a shame he's not coming over here, though I suppose it makes Takeover Target's participation at Royal Ascot more likely.

Grand Armee, who do you think wil be turning up from Australia for the King's Stand/Golden Jubilee?
 
Miss Andretti and Takeover Target I would think.

Of the others, I would not rule out a return to Europe by Magnus. He had his first start last Saturday in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate over 1100m. He was 2nd by several lengths to the superstar, Weekend Hussler. This horse is only 3, and has now won 3 Group 1 races in just his 8 career starts, of which he has won 6 races.

Both Magnus and Weekend Hussler head to the Group 1 $1 million Newmarket Handicap in a fortnight.

You won't likely be seeing Weekend Hussler. They are talking the Melbourne Cup with him, but I am thinking Cox Plate will be his ultimate aim in the spring, if he can get the distance. Though he won the Caulfield Guineas over 1600m by 6 lengths.

Bentley Biscuit started also, but ran Last. He has not been the same horse since last autumn, and there has been a lot of comments whether he has a hidden injury, yet to surface.
 
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