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Bright future predicted for Coastwatch after taking out the Ming Dynasty
Chris Waller has declared Coastwatch (3 g ex Bullion Mansion by Encosta De Lago) a Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) contender next autumn following his victory in Saturday’s Ming Dynasty Quality (Gr 3, 1400m) at Kembla Grange, the win providing his Coolmore Australia-based sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill) with his 178th stakes winner.
Coastwatch showed his first-up second to Tiger Of Malay (Extreme Choice) was no fluke with a resounding victory in Saturday's Group Three and jockey James McDonald believes it is the tip of the iceberg.
"I reckon we'll see the best of him when he gets to a mile, 2000 and even this time next year he'll be a pretty good horse," McDonald said.
"He'll be on an upward spiral from here on in because he's got the constitution, he's got a really good mind and a turn of foot. He'll be in all the big races."
Waller was equally excited about the three-year-old's future, although he took a longer-term view.
He believes Coastwatch has the potential to deliver him a seventh Doncaster Mile next year.
"Honestly, I think he's a Randwick Guineas, even Doncaster horse in the autumn," Waller said.
"Just a little bit of time has helped him. He showed some ability at two, but he didn't know what it was all about.
"Now that he's matured into a three-year-old you can see the difference. Obviously, he's still got a long way to go but he's got the scope to improve."
McDonald settled Coastwatch ($3.80 fav) a touch better than midfield, angling off the fence in the straight and chasing down Military Expert who had kicked clear.
He scored by three-quarters of a length over the Annabel Neasham-trained Military Expert (Redoute’s Choice), who fought gamely after being challenged for the early lead, with Subterranean (Rebel Dane) an even third another two and a quarter lengths away.
Now the winner of two of his eight career starts, Coastwatch was bought by Mulcaster Bloodstock for $750,000 at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Coolmore Stud and is raced by a partnership that includes Coolmore, Westerberg, Sir Peter Vela and Woppitt Bloodstock.
He is out of the dual winning Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) mare Bullion Mansion, making him a half-brother to Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt).
Coastwatch’s Pierro (Lonhro) half-brother was bought for $300,000 by Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Bullion Mansion produced a filly by Justify (Scat Daddy) last November before being covered again by Pierro.
Fastnet Rock’s 2021 fee is set at $165,000 (inc GST), having stood at the same fee for the past two seasons.