Cannonball was a standout at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Just days after the closing of its most successful yearling sales season as a vendor, the credentials of China Horse Club’s Australian breeding division were reiterated with the emergence of its third high profile stakes winner in just 58 days.
The elevation of crack juvenile Cannonball to stakes winner follows the G2 successes of his year older brother Marine One and Revolutionary Miss and comes at just his fourth career start. Cannonball’s title was secured after a slick all the way win in Saturday’s AUD160,000 Listed Thoroughbred Club Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. The striking chestnut was bred in partnership by China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and Matthew Sandblom and purchased by James Harron for AUD975,000.
Cannonball is the second stakes winning juvenile this season for the China Horse Club’s breeding programme with the ‘CHC branded’ Revolutionary Miss flying its flag following an initial five start preparation that included a win in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude, seconds in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and G3 Widden Stakes and a start in the G1 Golden Slipper.
The win of Cannonball was also supported by a strong return in G1 company by Kimari who was third in her defence of her 2021 USD500,000 G1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland (USA). Kimari, a graduate of the Club’s USA breeding programme, was resold last October for USD2,700,000 to Coolmore.
“We had to give [Cannonball] a short break and it was probably the best thing that’s happened to him, he’s come back a lot stronger this time in,” said co-trainer Sam Freedman.
“[Cannonball] is actually a full brother to Marine One, who’s improved from his late two-year-old into his three-year-old season and this colt gives us the impression his next campaign will be his best.
“He was a high-price yearling, he’s shown plenty of ability from the start. His first campaign was full of promise. He was there to be beaten today. We still think he might be best ridden with a sit. He showed good fight, he was there to be beaten and he had a shy of the winning post at the end there.”
Jockey Brett Prebble was also full of praise for Cannonball who gives every indication that he has significant improvement still.
“I knew there’d have to be a good one to beat him,” Prebble said.
“I hadn’t really taken much notice of the field until later in the week but on Tuesday morning he gave me the feeling he was a stakes-class horse.
“I think he’s going to be a better horse finding a backside [of a horse in front of him] and giving him one to run down. He just oozes class.”
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