Tagaloa on target for Guineas tilt
Tagaloa as a yearling at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale where he was purchased by the Busuttin stable for $300,000. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Arrowfield Magic Millions graduate Tagaloa is firmly on course for a second Group 1 victory after winning Saturday’s $160,000 VRC C.S. Hayes S. 1400m G3.
(PHOTO: Pat Scala/Racing Photos)
It was a strong performance by the colt, whose class and tenacity prevailed to carry topweight of 59.5 kg and defeat the better-favoured Aysar (with 56 kg) by a length in 1:21.63.
If he can also win the $1 million Australian Guineas G1 – where he will meet his rivals at set weights – Tagaloa will be the third Arrowfield-branded colt to claim both races after Zabeel (1990) and Wandjina (2015).
How good was Tagaloa today!?
Who wins the Australian Guineas? pic.twitter.com/y4qeM9a5xp
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 13, 2021
Tagaloa has now won three and placed 2nd, 3rd or 4th in six of his 11 starts, earning $1.3 million and a substantial stallion value already realised by Yulong’s purchase of a controlling interest in him last March.
The son of Champion Sprinter and leading Japanese sire Lord Kanaloa and Vasilissa (by Heart’s Cry) is one of five Group 1 winners bred by the Arrowfield/Northern Farm partnership, following Horse of the Year Weekend Hussler, Reaan, Hot Snitzel & Sweet Idea.
Offered at the 2019 Magic Millions Sale, Tagaloa was purchased for $300,000 by his trainers Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young. His half-sister by Not A Single Doubt is Lot 146 in Arrowfield’s draft for April’s Inglis Easter Sale, and their dam Vasilissa is in foal to Snitzel.
Arrowfield will also offer the only Lord Kanaloa colt in the Easter Sale, Lot 402 out of the Deep Impact mare Lunatique, a full sister to Japanese Champion and 3-time Group 1 winner Fierement.
