The unbeaten colt Omolong is being pointed towards the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes during the Melbourne spring carnival, following his latest stylish victory at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday which maintained his perfect record.
Omolong unleashed a powerful finishing surge to score his second win from as many starts in the Thank You ATC Members Handicap over 1100 metres.
Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller revealed Omolong would be given a short break now and then be aimed at feature races later in the spring carnival.
“I’m predicting he will have a great future,” Waller said of Omolong. “A race like the Coolmore down the straight (Flemington) later in the spring I think will be ideal. Obviously, there is a lot of improvement still to come for him to do that but he’s still very raw, still developing, and I think there is a lot of upside to him. He has always shown us a lot of promise, he’s a bright, shining star.”.
Omolong, who was an easing favourite at $3.10 according to leading betting markets, came from off the speed early and sprinted impressively to reel in Seeiaye ($6.50) to win by a half-length with Satin Summer ($5.50) just over a length away third.
Kotor was sent out a $3.10 equal favourite on debut but after showing early speed she faded from the turn and ran only seventh.
Waller said “Omolong has a lot of natural talent” and will continue to improve with experience and maturity as a spring three-year-old.
“The Golden Rose will come around too quickly for him so we will pick out something mid-spring and aim him at the Coolmore Stud Stakes,” Waller said. “I remember Northern Meteor started late in the spring before winning the Coolmore so it will be that style of preparation for this colt.”
Star apprentice Siena Grima rode her 29th city winner of the season on Omolong and is now just one win behind Braith Nock for the Sydney apprentices’ premiership.
“Omolong was a bit sweaty behind the gates, but he was still walking in nice, relaxed circles,” Grima said. “He got into a beautiful spot and travelled lovely from there. He is very leggy and raw. He’s still got a lot to learn, so I didn’t want to upset him. I had him on the bridle travelling, which is what I was happy about. I just let him build from the five (hundred), got a lovely cart into the straight and once he was balanced up and in a good rhythm, once I went for him he continued to find.”
Waller said Grima is handling the pressure of Sydney racing with a maturity beyond her years.
“This is one of the toughest (riding) jurisdictions in the world but Siena continues to deal with that and is doing a fantastic job,” Waller said.
Omolong, the promising son of Newgate’s super sire Extreme Choice, was a late-season foal, born on December 19 three years ago.
Breeder Gerry Harvey, who has retained 10 percent of the colt after selling him to Yulong for $850,000 at the Magic Millions June Sale last year, was responsible for convincing Newgate Farm supremo Henry Field to extend Extreme Choice’s breeding season until the end of January.
Field admits if Harvey wasn’t so persistent, Omolong would not have been born at all and remembers the conversation he had with the breeder about Extreme Choice as if it was yesterday.
“I was actually at a Keeneland Broodmare Sale (USA) when Gerry called,” Field told Racing And Sports earlier in the week. “Gerry asked if he could breed some mares to Extreme Choice in January. I told him no as the season traditionally finishes at the end of December. But I have to thank Gerry for ripping into me and giving me the kick up the backside I needed to have a rethink about Extreme Choice.”
Harvey doesn’t often take “no” for an answer and ultimately convinced Field to do something different with Extreme Choice. When Field relented, Harvey sent a number of mares to Extreme Choice that January three years ago including Samarmeteors, already the dam of stakes winner Prost. The result of that mating is Omolong.
Punters can find competitive racing odds for the Coolmore Stud Stakes at various sports betting platforms.
