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Spirit Ridge steps up to stakes company and lands Summer Cup
The Mark Newnham-trained Spirit Ridge (5 g ex Tates Creek by Rahy) broke through at stakes level when he landed the Summer Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) at Randwick on Saturday and in the process handed Newsells Park-based sire Nathaniel (Galileo) with his 22nd stakes winner.
Having finished second on his two previous starts, the British-bred five-year-old gelding was having his first start in stakes company and got his head in front, beating Best Of Days (Azamour) by a head, while Black On Gold (Sebring) was another three-quarters lengths away in third.
“He’s only had the four starts here, he’s improved each time and he got in his right race today and a good ride got him home,” Newnham said.
“He is quite a promising stayer but so far we have been nice and patient with him and the best is still ahead.”
Purchased by Darby Racing and De Burgh Equine for for 100,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale from the Juddmonte Farms draft, Spirit Ridge is out of Grade 1-winning Rahy (Blushing Groom) mare Tates Creek.
Tates Creek herself is out of Listed scorer Viviana (Nureyev) - making her a half-sister to multiple elite level winner Sightseek (Distant View) and the dam of Group 1 winner Special Duty (Hennessy) - who in turn is the grandam of Group 1 winner Expert Eye (Acclamation).
Nathaniel, who is also sire of 11-time Group 1 winning champion Enable, stands alongside Without Parole (Frankel) at Newsells Park where his 2021 fee has been advertised at £15,000.