Militarize as a yearling
Militarize has thrust himself into discussions around Australia’s premier juvenile events after an exceptional debut in the AUD55,000 Drinkwise Plate (1200m) at Canterbury Park (Australia).
In the process, Militarize also became the sixth individual two-year-old winner of eight races for the China Horse Club / Newgate Farm / Trilogy Racing syndicate this season when storming to his facile win.
James Macdonald, free from being anointed as the Longines World Best Jockey in 2022, couldn’t have been more impressed with the Chris Waller trained colt who is bred to improve as he gets over more ground.
“[Militarize] is a lovely professional horse that has been given a bit of time and is well educated,” the jockey said.
“Gee, that was a smart debut. I can remember Castelvecchio doing a similar thing over this course and distance. He is the spitting image of his old man [Dundeel].”
Macdonald was the regular partner of Militarized’s sire, Dundeel, scoring six G1 wins on him before his retirement to stud where the likes of dual G1 winner Castelvecchio have affirmed him as exceptional sire influence.
The Chris Waller trainee will add his ballast to the syndicate’s Sydney Autumn Carnival team having added his name to the list of impressive juvenile winners for the season in Empire of Japan (1st G3 Breeders’ Plate), King’s Gambit (Listed Debutant Stakes), Sovereign Fund (2 wins, inc. RL Wyong Magic Millions), Royal Entrance (2 wins) and boom colt Don Corleon (1 win).
Like Macdonald, Waller’s Racing Manager, Charlie Duckworth, was also liberal in his praise of the juvenile’s performance and of the esteem in which the stable holds him in.
“Militarize took fantastic improvement from his first trial to his second trial and from his second trial to the races in a very quick turnaround in time,” Duckworth said.
“He is a fantastic colt. We were lucky to be sent him from Newgate and their partners. He will go on to bigger and better things. Hopefully, we can get to the [Golden] Slipper and races like that. Every two-year-old race at this time of the season is important.
“He is a Dundeel, so we expected him to be a little later than he has been. He is a horse that has impressed us all the way through.”
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