Sydney Success for Entirely Platinum (NZ)

Promising kiwi-bred galloper Entirely Platinum (NZ) (Pentire) made an impressive step up to stakes level with a decisive victory in the Group 3 A$150,800 McGrath Estate Agents Sky High Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Entirely Platinum (NZ) triumphant in the Group 3 McGrath Estate Agents Sky High Stakes at Rosehill.

Trained by Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes, the Karaka Premier Sale graduate entered the race as winner of four of his 10 raceday appearances including his only two starts this campaign.

Leading Singapore-based jockey Corey Brown returned to Sydney for the Group 1 day of racing and was aboard the son of Rich Hill Stud sire Pentire. The pair jumped well from barrier 7 and settled in second placing on the back of the leader.

At the top of the straight it was evident that Entirely Platinum was travelling well and when Brown asked him to quicken he burst to the lead and opened up a gap on the field at the 150m mark.

Late runs from the rear came but Entirely Platinum was too strong as he eased down to win by one-and-a-quarter-lengths over Midsummer Sun (Monsun) with Desert Jeuney (Desert Prince) in third.

“He did a really good job so we were very happy with him,” commented Wayne Hawkes. “He has done a great job this preparation, he has just taken a bit of time to mature.

“He will probably have one more run before we put him away for the spring. I think he can keep going through the grades but a lot of horses promise and don’t deliver.

“He was probably the best horse at the Sale that year. You don’t often get to take home what you want but we had the people with the money so we made every post a winner.

“It is a credit to the owners, they paid the money for him, gelded him early, left him alone and let us do what we wanted to do with him, they are the ones that need to be congratulated.”

Saturday’s victory was the fifth from only 11 starts for the five-year-old gelding who has earned $220,760 in prizemoney for his owners Mr N E Giorgetta, G P I Racing, B & G Mcalister, Mr D V Russo, Mr R M Mitchell, Mr G Evans, Mr W Forrest & Mrs G A Martinovich.

The Hawkes team were also successful in the very next race on the programme at Rosehill with Messane (Lohnro) triumphant in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes.

Bred by Windsor Park Stud Ltd, Entirely Platinum is out Platinum Blond (Kaapstad) who is also the dam of Group 3 winner Foxy Blond (Volksraad), Australian stakes performer Roving Owl (Volksraad) and New Zealand stakes performer James Blond – Travel Leader (H.K.) (Danske).

Hawkes Racing purchased Entirely Platinum for $520,000 at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale from his breeders Windsor Park Stud.

Silent Achiever (NZ) (O’Reilly) capped a great day for Kiwi-bred horses at Rosehill with a deserved victory in Australia at the elite level with a tough win in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes over a high-class field that included fellow New Zealand galloper It’s a Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral) who finished third.