A fortnight after exciting 3YO Panic (Time Test- Daniela’s Magic by Per Incanto) registered Time Test’s seventh stakes winner, his 5YO son Okeechobee (Time Test-Scuffle by Daylami) has won the (2009m) Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown in the UK.
Only beaten once in four starts at three, Okeechobee was having just his second start in a new campaign when proving too strong for the King’s horse Desert Hero, third in last years St Leger. Trainer Roger Charlton indicated after the win that the gelding is likely to run next in either the Group 1 Prix d’Ishpan or the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
As an indication of where Okeechobee sits rating wise, it took dual Group 1 winner and $4.4m earner Dubai Honour to beat him at level weights when the Time Test gelding resumed at Kempton recently. Dubai Honour is best known down under as the conqueror of Anamoe in last season’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.
Domestically the Noel Nicholson bred Perfect Test (Time Test-Perfect Vision by High Chaparral) continued the stallions excellent trot when she recorded her second career victory when successful over 1600m at Whanganui on Saturday. The 4YO mare is a full sister to Snellen, who was sold to Hong Kong earlier this season after winning impressively at Otaki over 1600m.
So often in the racing game, things happen in pairs or multiples thereof. And while it may have taken Time Test a little while to register his seventh individual stakes winner, the signs have been there for several months that it was just a matter of time before the black-type winners started to fall, given the large number of promising horses the stallion has, both in Australasia and internationally.
LA has a select draft of six Time Test weanlings earmarked for the upcoming NZB National Weanling Sale.
Per Incanto’s highlight in Australia this past week was the win of Gringotts (Per Incanto-Miss Bluebell by Savabeel) in the $200k (1400m) Tamworth Cup on Friday. Now the winner of six of his 12 career starts, with five minor placings, the Per Incanto 4YO has qualified for the 1600m $3million Big Dance Quality Handicap to be run at Randwick on 5 November.
The LA and Chrissie and Pete Algie bred Jimmysstar (Per Incanto- Anniesstar by Zed) is Per Incanto’s latest Australian stakes performer after running third in the $300k (1600m) Listed Brisbane Mile Quality at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
