1 Jan 2024For such obvious reasons, it was an absolute honour for us to win the G2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes at Pukekohe Park.
Delivering the dream result was our improving American Pharoah filly About Time, who has been so well managed by trainer Lance Noble and was given a top ride by Warren Kennedy.
About Time had finished sixth in the G2 Eight Carat Classic over 1600 metres on Boxing Day when Vinnie Colgan deputised for the suspended Kennedy and was ideally suited to the step up to 2050 metres.
She settled back on the fence in a small field before angling off the rail across the top and she rounded off powerfully in the run home.
“Warren does his homework, he walked the track and knew where to be and before the race he said it wasn’t a bad run last time when the tempo didn’t suit her,” Noble said.
“He said he would just let her find her feet and, if she handled the ground, she would finish it off and he was spot on.”
The G1 New Zealand Oaks and the G1 Queensland Oaks now loom as potential options for About Time.
“I was thinking about giving her a bit of a break and maybe look at Brisbane, that’s a possibility but we’ll get her home and work out what we do,” Noble said.
About Time has now won two of her five starts and also finished third in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial.
“I thought her last run was pretty good and looked like she hit a flat spot when they quickened up,” Kennedy said.
“Lance has done a fantastic job with her and 2000 metres was right up her alley.”
We will offer About Time’s half-brother by Savabeel as Lot 358 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and they are out of the Fastnet Rock mare Romantic Time who is a half-sister to the ill-fated G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Amelia’s Dream.
Also the dam of the multiple winner and five-time Group 1 placegetter Young Werther and the Listed performer Romantic Lady, Romantic Time has an Almanzor filly at foot and returned to our European Champion Three-year-old.