Scissor Kick brave runner-up in G1 Golden Rose
In 1929, when Dorothy Parker interviewed Ernest Hemingway, she asked, “Exactly what do you mean by ‘guts’?”
Hemingway replied: “I mean, grace under pressure.”
That is what Rosehill racegoers saw on Saturday when two magnificent colts fought out the finish of the $1 million ATC Golden Rose S. 1400m G1.
Scissor Kick, Arrowfield’s colt by Redoute’s Choice, drew 12 and ended up the widest runner with no cover, yet found enough to drive forward to the lead and withstand all challenges except the last one. That came from Gooree Park’s unbeaten colt Hallowed Crown, who drew 14, settled behind Scissor Kick then attacked in the straight to claim a long-neck winning margin at the post. Shooting To Win ran third, 1.3 lengths away.
Scissor Kick’s jockey Tye Angland said, “Run of the race, run of the day. Barrier cost us early I couldn’t get in, had to let him slide so we didn’t get pushed out further on the corner and held him together at the top of the straight. When the winner came at him he really dug deep, raised another effort but the run told the last 50 metres, he was out on his feet. He’s a real fighter, best horse in the race.”
Racenet’s Punters’ Report on Scissor Kick, who started at double-figure odds, was blunt: “What can you say? This bloke was never closer than four wide and started his run from the 750 metre mark. You can’t take anything away from the winner but this’ll go down as one of the unluckiest seconds in a Group I we’ll see.”
Scissor Kick has progressed rapidly from his maiden win at Canterbury on 23 July, to victories in The Rosebud H. LR and Up and Coming S. G3 at Randwick last month. With three wins from five starts, his earnings stand at $369,275, and a trip to Melbourne now seems likely.
A son of Back Pass (by Quest for Fame), Scissor Kick was a $200,000 purchase by his trainer Paul Messara from the Broadwater Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale. He is raced by his breeder Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing in partnership with John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud.
Scissor Kick brings an internationally renowned pedigree to his burgeoning prospects as a stallion. He is the grandson of a half-sister to the great broodmare Hasili (dam of four Group 1 winners and champion sire Dansili, all by Danehill), Arrive (dam of Danehill’s champion daughter Promising Lead) and Dissemble (dam of Animal Kingdom’s sire Leroidesanimaux).
Back Pass died earlier this year but has a 2YO daughter by Redoute’s Choice and a yearling colt by High Chaparral.
Three-time Champion Australian Sire Redoute’s Choice already has more than $1.1 million prizemoney and three stakeswinners (Scissor Kick, Panzer Division & Rock Magic) on the board this season.
