Concealed as a yearling
A determined win today at Sydney’s Canterbury Park Racecourse has stamped Concealed as a determined young performer. At only his second career appearance, the strapping colt displayed grit to claw passed two stablemates and land the Microphone @ Darley Handicap (1250m) on a testing heavy surface.
The muscular chestnut had to work hard to get through the wet ground but continued to answer to the urgings of apprentice Robbie Dolan to score by a neck with debutant stablemate Oregon a length away third. The win is just what a weighty ownership group would have hoped for. Concealed was purchased by China Horse Club and Newgate Farm and is raced by both parties as well as the likes of notable owners Sir Owen Glenn, Matthew Sandblom, Nick Vass, Glenlogan Park Stud and America’s Stonestreet Stable.
Co-trainer Paul Snowden highlighted the tractability of the juvenile to local media post-race, believing this quality and his positive progression from his race debut at Kembla Grange 11 days earlier is what was instrumental in his success.
“[Concealed] saw no daylight at all at Kembla over the last 300 metres,” Snowden said.
“But handled the wet track well [at Kembla Grange] and I think that stood him in good stead for today.”
Concealed is the 10th individual two-year-old winner for China Horse Club this year, joining a cadre of crack young performers including group winners Dame Giselle and Barbaric; stakes winner Untamed; group placegetters Rulership, Wild Ruler and Aim; and $2 million Inglis Millennium winner Prime Star.
“We have had the good fortune to win the G1 Inglis Sires Produces Stakes winner Pride of Dubai (2015) and Invader (2017) in recent years and while this season has not seen us reach those heights an argument can be put forward that, as a collective, our current juvenile team is the most successful we have had to date in Australia,” said China Horse Club’s Michael Smith.
“There are some quality racehorses among this group and there is a great deal to look forward to in the spring. The win today of Concealed adds to that anticipation. He has forged out a good tough win today over two stablemates including our own Oregon who wasn’t disgraced. We will see how they both come through today’s race, talk with the Snowdens and assess the best path forward for they. Concealed and Oregon both have big pedigrees and they will be placed to advantage.”
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