Winner: Gathering (Tale of the Cat-Celebria)
Race: VRC Paris Lane Stakes LR (1400m)
Passed for: $260,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Coolmore Stud (As Agent)
Reserve: $350,000
Earnings: $351,250
Owner(s): Patinack Farm Racing Syndicate (Mgr: N Tinkler)
Trainer: John Thompson (Flemington)
Gathering provided one of the most famous thoroughbred families with yet another feature race win when he scored a comprehensive success in the listed Paris Lane Stakes at Flemington today.
The Tale of the Cat gelding showed good speed during the race and showed great fight in the straight to hold out his rivals and give popular jockey Dwayne Dunn a feature race double.
Gathering is raced by Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm Racing Syndicate and is prepared by his trainer John Thompson.
“He’s been going well, but I’ve been wanting him to get to a mile,” Thompson said. “But I’ve been struggling to place him.”
“He tackled the Group One field last time – but he was back in class today. It was a good ride from Dwayne (Dunn) and he got the job done.”
“He takes a couple of runs to get fit. That (leading) is his go. He’s a big, tough, one-paced bugger.”
Connections are keep to get Gathering out to 1600 metres and his next start will almost certainly be over that distance.
“He’ll probably go to something like the Crystal Mile (at Moonee Valley) now – out to the mile and just bowl along.”
Winning rider Dwayne Dunn said not everything went according to plan during the race, but he was delighted with how his charge responded when asked in the home straight.
“He raced a little bit in patches,” Dunn said. “I had Sister Madly over racing outside me and that got him going a little bit quicker than I wanted to mid-race.”
“He had a good breath at the top of the straight and when I asked him for an effort he really dug deep and found the line.”
“He has a bit of a wind issue but he’s big and strong and I’d like to see him over a mile,” Dunn summd up.
A graduate of the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Gathering has now earned the powerful Patinack Farm operation over $351,000.
Along with his listed win today, Gathering was second in a Group One Spring Champion Stakes and Group Three Gloaming Stakes and third in a Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes and Group Three Norman Robinson Stakes.
By renowned international sire Tale of the Cat, he is from the regally related Peintre Celebre mare Celebria.
Celebria, won three races to 1400 metres, proved herself in Sydney and is a half sister to the Group Three SAJC Breeders’ Stakes winner Murjana.
His family is one of the most famous and best families in the Studbook with those stars including Group One winning sires Al Maher, Platinum Scissors, Redoute’s Choice, Umatilla, Hurricane Sky and Manhattan Rain.
