Interstate stakes double for Arrowfield graduates

Saturday’s interstate Arrowfield graduate stakes double was good news for two of the Stud’s former stallions, as well a pair of Arrowfield mares now in foal to boom young sire Dundeel.

Wild Planet struck first in front of a Hunter Valley home crowd at the Scone Cup Carnival, taking the $300,000 Inglis 3YO Guineas 1400m RLR by the scruff of the neck and staving off the challenges of the favourite Military Zone and third-placed Total Power (by Dundeel).

It was Wild Planet’s second stakes victory after last Spring’s VRC Poseidon S. LR,  but earned him more than twice the prizemoney and adds further gloss to the record of his dam Salutations (by Redoute’s Choice), also the dam of stakes-placed 2YO winner Super Seth (by Dundeel), and a Dundeel filly sold at the this year’s Magic Millions Sale.  

Wild Planet’s sire Animal Kingdom no longer shuttles to Arrowfield but his record here has improved markedly this season, thanks to Australian Derby G1 winner Angel of Truth, Listed winner Mystery Miss, Group 1-placed Peaceful State, Group 2-placed Victory Kingdom, stakes-placed Earth Angel and a swag of city winners.  Animal Kingdom’s final Australian yearlings will be offered for sale in 2020.

“Wild Planet dug deep under pressure like he always does. He’s a fighter, he’s a winner and he is going the right way.’’
– Co-trainer Michael Hawkes

Wild Planet was Animal Kingdom’s top-priced colt of 2017, bought for $280,000 by Hawkes Racing & Andrew Williams Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Inglis Easter draft that has also produced Group 1 winners The Autumn Sun, Estijaab & Atyaab, and Listed winner Diplomatico.

Around three hours later at Caulfield, the Melbourne Racing Club presented  the 2YO 1200-metre race named for Arrowfield’s late, great Champion Sire,  but amended the name slightly to Vale Redoute’s Choice S. LR. 

Arrowfield-bred & -sold filly Missile Mantra then completed the tribute by unwinding a big run down the outside to win the race for her Triple Crown-managed syndicate of owners and  trainers Peter & Paul Snowden. 

By Smart Missile, who now stands at Twin Hills Stud, Missile Mantra was a $30,000 Magic Millions buy for Triple Crown. She is the second foal of the Starcraft mare Wecansay Mak, a sister to dual Group 1 winner We Can Say It Now.  

Missile Mantra is the third stakes-winning graduate of Arrowfield’s Class of 2018, after Group 1 winner Castelvecchio and last weekend’s Group 3 winner Stronger (also out of a Starcraft mare).