A week after celebrating success in the Epsom Derby, the China Horse Club and its members had cause to celebrate in a different hemisphere with a winning double in Australia.
High class filly Jazz Song and progressive gelding Olympic Anthem franked their outstanding runs in the G2 Queensland Guineas with success at the feature Ipswich race meeting in Queensland.
Jazz Song
Jazz Song, already a G3 and Listed winner, add the $100,000 Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) to her growing resume while Olympic Anthem closed out his preparation in the same way he began it, with a barnstorming win in the Schweppes T.L. Cooney Handicap (1350m).
Jazz Song, owned in conjunction with Coolmore, Sir Owen Glenn and partners, rates among the best bred fillies racing in her homeland. Trainer Mick Price now has the enviable decision on deciding whether he backs the filly up in the G1 $500,000 Tattersalls Tiara in a week’s time or gives her a break in preparation for the spring carnival.
The decision for trainer Rob Heathcote is less complicated. The ever smiling Heathcote had to make the call to take on another wide draw or spell his three-year-old immediately after his fourth in the five horse blanket finish of the Queensland Guineas. He and the China Horse Club backed Olympic Anthem and the chestnut rewarded their collective faith with a fourth career win in 11 starts.
Olympic Anthem produced a blistering finishing burst to round out his preparation with the tightest of wins. The margin of a head separated him from race favourite Architect with the rest of the field two-and-a-half lengths away.