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In The Congo caps off a memorable 24 hours for his connections and sire
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained In The Congo (3 c ex Via Africa by Var) capped off a memorable 24 hours for Newgate Bloodstock and China Horse Club and partners when he won Saturday's Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m), with the victory providing his Arrowfield Stud-based sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) with his 17th Group One winner after his 16th elite level winner came on Friday night when Wild Ruler captured the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m).
Like Wild Ruler, In The Congo races in the colours of China Horse Club and the son of Snitzel was having his first start at Group One level having captured the San Domenico Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Kembla Grange on August 28 and then followed that up with a close second in the Run To The Rose (Gr 2, 1200m) two weeks ago.
A race day phone call from co-trainer Gai Waterhouse inspired Tim Clark to produce a daring ride on In The Congo and Clark revealed that while his plan was always to lead, he wanted to give the colt a mid-race rest before setting him alight around the turn.
"I had a conversation with Gai on the way here and I said to her, 'I'll roll to the first turn and might just try and get a breather'. She said, 'don't you dare'," Clark said.
"She said, 'you keep him running and use his speed because it can win you the race'.
"So I did that and we pulled it off."
In The Congo set a solid tempo and strung the field out before giving a good kick once he balanced for home.
Favourite Anamoe (Street Boss)) emerged from the pack to give chase but Clark had stolen too big a break and In The Congo held on to win the 1400 metre feature by long head.
Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock) underlined his promise with a solid third, another one and a half lengths in arrears
In The Congo capped an incredible afternoon for Clark and Tulloch Lodge trainers Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, giving them a feature race treble after they combined for earlier stakes victories with Entente (Dundeel) in the Colin Stephen Quality (Gr 3, 2400m) and Vangelic (Vancouver) in the Golden Pendant (Gr 2, 1400m).
"We've built up a really strong partnership," Clark said.
"It's a real honour to be riding for the stable and days like today are very special."
Bott said that In The Congo, a $350,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling purchase by China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock from the draft of Newhaven Park Stud, steps up to whatever is put to him.
"He wears his heart on his sleeve every time he steps out. He was deserving of a tough victory like this," Bott said.
"We have kept raising the bar from when he stepped out in the off season in the winter and through the early stages of the spring. We set him goals and he kept delivering."
Anamoe lost nothing in defeat and while deflated by the result, jockey James Mcdonald was thrilled with the Godolphin colt's performance.
"He was primed for the race, he looked fantastic, he went great. Disappointing we went down but he will live to fight another day," McDonald said.
In The Congo ran the 1400 metres in a time of 1:21.46, eclipsing the race record set by Exosphere (Lonhro) (2015) by more than half a second.
It was Tulloch Lodge's first victory in the Group 1 race since it became known as the Golden Rose in 2003.
Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel extended his lead at the head of the leading sires table in Australia by earnings, now almost $1.5 million clear of nearest rival I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
In The Congo is out of the three-time South African Grade One winner Via Africa (Var), twice the winner of the South African Fillies Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m), making him a three quarter brother to the Hong Kong-raced Pleasant Endeavor (Redoute’s Choice).
Via Africa’s Vancouver (Medaglia d’Oro) filly was bought for $260,000 by Ryan Bloodstock at this year’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale and after missing to Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) two years ago, Via Africa was covered by Snitzel’s barnmate The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) last year.