Winner: Catapulted (Catbird-Siren Miss)
Race: BRC QTC Cup G2 (1300m)
Sold for: $90,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale
Vendor: Mill Park
Buyer: Mark Kavanagh
Earnings: $446,125
Owner(s): I Kavanagh, A Taylor, G Small, J Purdey, D Moriarty, WTR Syndicate (Mgr: P Gunner), W Glynn, J Gitsham & J Dollman
Trainer: Mark Kavanagh (Morphettville)
Outstanding sprinter Catapulted confirmed a Stradbroke Handicap start with a dashing win in today’s Group Two QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm.
A runaway winner at his previous start in stakes grade at Flemington, Catapulted sat just behind the leaders throughout much of the race before coming with a sprint in the straight.
In the run to the line Catapulted ($2.80 fav) held out the boom New South Wales galloper Border Rebel ($7) by three parts of a length.
Another length and a quarter back in third place was Ego’s Dare ($18), just ahead of highly regarded filly Graceful Anna ($10).
The result was a glowing endorsement for Magic Millions – the first four runners past the post sold by the company as yearlings.
The win rounded out a wonderful day for Melbourne Cup winning trainer Mark Kavanagh – an interstate treble.
Kavanagh’s other winners were Outlandish Lad at Morphettville and Elusive Touch at Flemington.
His Group Two winner Catapulted will now be given his chance at winning at racing’s elite level in the million dollar Stradbroke Handicap next Saturday.
“He settled really well today and he deserves his chance next week,” Kavanagh said.
“You’d have to say this bloke would be a definite chance. The other horse (Whobegotyou) is established and proven at that level – this guy is heading in the right direction.”
Winning rider Damien Oliver was impressed with the performance of Catapulted and expects him to be in the finish in next week’s feature.
“We had a lovely run,” Oliver commented. “He travelled really well and got the run and showed a good turn of foot.”
“This was a very strong Group Two and he will go into the Stradbroke with a light weight and he will run a cheeky race,” he added.
Catapulted is now the second favourite for the Stradbroke behind stablemate Whobegotyou.
Connections had to wait a while to celebrate when apprentice Timothy Bell fired in an ambitious protest against the winner.
Stewards, as expected, dismissed the objection but Oliver was later suspended for causing interference.
Catapulted is now the winner of nine races from just 14 starts and he’s earned an ever increasing $446,125 – not bad considering he cost just $90,000 at the 2007 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He is a stakes winner in every state he’s raced in to date and now just needs a Group One victory to complete a full book of black type wins.
The son of Catbird went close last month when he led until late in the race in the Group One The Goodwood – nabbed in the concluding stages by Velocitea.
By Danehill’s Golden Slipper winning sire Catbird, Catapulted is one of two winners produced by Siren Miss.
A daughter of Umatilla and winner over 1400 metres, Siren Miss is a full sister to the Perth stakes winning juvenile Umatune – the dam in turn of three stakes gallopers including Jestatune.
Catapulted’s third and fourth dams, Neptune Princess and Lady Freux respectively, both won the Group Two SAJC Breeders’ Stakes as two-year-olds
