Tulloch Lodge has produced the Breeders’ Plate trifecta for the second year in succession with King Kirk, the first runner for freshman sire Ole Kirk, putting his hat in the ring for a Magic Millions campaign with a come-from-behind win.
A $300,000 buy, King Kirk ($8) got back from a midfield draw and finished hard down the outside to overwhelm Tempestuous ($9) by a half-neck with North England ($4.60) another short-head away third.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott managed the same feat 12 months ago when Espionage downed barn mates Straight Charge and Prost in the corresponding race and went on to enjoy a heady two-year-old season in which they claimed the Golden Slipper with Lady Of Camelot.
Bott is hoping their good start to the latest juvenile season is a similarly positive sign.
“It’s very satisfying to do,” Bott said.
“We brought a bunch of lovely colts here today, so satisfying to see them all perform well and it’s exciting for the season going ahead.”
Bott confirmed King Kirk would now be spelled and set for the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January, ahead of a Sydney autumn carnival campaign.
“I think he’s a Magic Millions horse, so I’d say that’s first and foremost the main target for him,” Bott said.
“We’ll look to give him a spell now and work back from there. And obviously, big picture you’re always looking for the Golden Slipper.
“He is a lovely horse. Everything he has done to date has been very professional. He got a bit further back than expected today in the run and he did great to pick them up in the final strides.”
John Thompson has his sights firmly on the 2024 Golden Slipper with Bel Merci ($3.50 fav) after she posted an impressive victory in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) for the fillies.
The daughter of Extreme Choice jumped on terms but mustered speed to take up the running at the halfway mark and gave nothing else a chance, putting a comfortable 1-1/4 length margin on O’Ole ($7.50) with Memo ($4.80) doing her best work late another long neck back.
It was Thompson’s second win in the feature after Hussousa in 2011 and he said Bel Merci did it on raw talent.
“She is a star, don’t worry about that,” Thompson said.
“She’s not trained up at all, that is just pure, natural ability there.”
Thompson confirmed Bel Merci would be spelled and set for the Golden Slipper in the autumn.
The two 1000m races were run in similar time, King Kirk clocking 57.60 seconds and Bel Merci 57.84 seconds, although the latter’s final 600m sectional was marginally quicker.