Winner: Theseo (Danewin-Ozone Sand)
Race: AJC Chipping Norton Stakes G1 (1600m)
Sold for: $120,000
Sale: 2005 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Emirates Park
Buyer: Star Thoroughbreds
Earnings: $3,003,580
Owner(s): M Townsend, P Evans, Mrs A Wilberforce, C Thompson, Mrs S Hardie, R Stanwell, G Sobels, G Menzies, Mrs J Nathans & Mrs M Rusk
Trainer: Gai Waterhouse (Randwick)
Theseo made it five Group One wins and sent his earnings past $3 million when the star Sydney galloper scored an outstanding win in the $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
A member of the Gai Waterhouse stable, Theseo was sent out the favourite and lived up the expectation as he led throughout after finding the lead from a wide barrier.
Waterhouse loves Theseo and why wouldn’t she!
“He’s a very special horse,” she said moments after the victory.
“He didn’t have a very nice alley. But I love the way Nash just glided him over from the wide alley.”
“He’s got that lovely daisy cutting style. And he rolled off the fence just slightly in the straight it was very exciting.”
“He’s such a lovely horse. We were having such a dud day – it’s nice to have a good one win.”
Waterhouse said she came into the race with a great deal of confidence, knowing her mount had improved greatly from his last start win.
“I said to the owners if you thought you have a horse Chipping Norton day, I know we’ve got a real horse today.”
“Because whatever the horse did on Chipping Norton Stakes Day, you could see since he’s come along in leaps and bounds.”
The Group One BMW at Rosehill in a fortnight, on Slipper Day, is the next mission for the star Sydneysider.
“That’s probably where we’ll go. We can hope to win that because last year we thought we were a bit denied while taking nothing away from the winner.”
For Denise Martin the latest win of Theseo continued a golden run for her and her syndication company Star Thoroughbreds.
“The dream of being able to own a horse that can win five Group One races in indescribable.”
“What a great buy! The people couldn’t believe what a good buy they’ve got.”
Winning rider Nash Rawiller was all smiles in the winner’s stall after capturing another Group One on one of his all time favourite gallopers.
“He just runs them into the ground,” Rawiller. “He’s so tough.”
“I was just so full of confidence throughout the race. He started clicking up through his gears at the 700.”
“He showed no signs of stopping at all.”
Rawiller is quietly confident that Theseo will have no troubles stepping up another 400 metres at his next run in the Group One BMW.
“I’ve said along that if the track last year was a genuine dead I reckon he would have won the race.”
“So there are no concerns there for me,” Rawiller summed up.
The Danewin gelding has turned into a mighty advertisement for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds operation.
Martin went to $120,000, her most expensive purchase to that time, to buy the Emirates Park offering at the 2005 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
With 10 wins and nine minor placings on his record from just 33 starts, the six-year-olds earnings have now reached $3,003,580.
