Sydney, March 13 – Fastnet Rock colt Hinchinbrook burst into serious Golden Slipper calculations with a an exciting win at Randwick on Saturday in the Group Three AJC Skyline Stakes over 1200 metres.
A three-quarter brother to Group One winning sprinter and now successful young sire Snitzel, Hinchinbrook showed none of the renowned early speed of his famous sibling when allowed to settle down at the rear of the seven horse field shortly after the start.
From the top of the straight, Hinchinbrook weaved a path into the clear for champion jockey Hugh Bowman, chiming in with a big run between horses to defeat the tenacious Brightexpectations by a short head in a driving finish.
“It’s good when you’ve got the material," Ryan said. “I’ve always believed in the horse, he’s the real deal.”
Hinchinbrook is now two wins from as many starts with prizemoney of $135,000 having won the Listed AJC Canonbury Stakes on debut at the sale track on February 13.
Gerald Ryan indicated he would see how Hinchinbrook pulled up before making a decision on whether to run the colt again before the Slipper.
“I’ll wait and see until Tuesday before making a decision,” he said. “He raced well fresh today but if he does run again it will be next week in the Todman.”
A three-quarter brother to Group One winner and now successful young sire Snitzel, Hinchinbrook is the last foal from stakes-winning mare Snippets’ Lass who died within hours of his birth in September 2007.
The Mitchell family of Yarraman Park moved swiftly to save the colt and a foster mother was found to raise him and after that rocky start, all has gone smoothly for the budding star.
Snippets’ Lass has been a great favourite in the sale ring, her yearlings selling for up to $1.4 million (for Redoute’s Choice filly Viennese) and the original plan was to sell this colt as well, so he was entered in the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
As the colt developed, it became plain to all that he might well be the best horse produced by Snippets’ Lass and that being the case his breeder Francois Naude elected to keep him.
Gerald Ryan was selected to train Hinchinbrook given his success with his older brother Snitzel, the decision now looking a wise one as the colt has stallion potential written all over him.
