By Lydia Symonds
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Cambridge Stud’s first-season sire Sword Of State (Snitzel) got his stallion career off to a brilliant start when he chalked up his first individual stakes winner courtesy Torture’s dominant display in the Debutant Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Caulfield on Wednesday.
Trained by Lindsay Park, the juvenile filly showed talent in spades to finish 0.5 lengths ahead of her well-related stable companion Free Flying, who is by Sword Of State’s sire, Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice). The Ciaron Maher-trained Toronado Valley (Too Darn Hot) finished the same distance away in third.
The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained Rachini (Zoustar), who will be offered as Lot 89 at the Inglis Ready2Run Sale on Thursday. She will be set for sale by Baystone Farm who pinhooked the filly for $200,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year.
Ben Hayes said he was not expecting Torture to be so early.
“It was nice to run one-two in the race, and to get some black type with a filly is very important,” he said.
“I thought she won very well. She loomed into it and hit the front and did everything right today, so it’s a big thrill for the whole team. Two-year-olds are something that we really enjoy doing, and coming out and winning the first two-year-old stakes race of the season is a big thrill.
“She is well-bred and now a stakes winner, so there are a couple of big ticks there and she is a beautiful looking horse with much more improvement to come, which is exciting.”
Bred and co-owned by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, Torture is a half-sister to Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Ruthless Dame (Tavistock), with the pair out of the stakes-placed Keeper (Danehill) mare Ruthless Lady. Ruthless Dame was bought by Kasumi Yoshida for $2 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last year.
Torture was raised and sold by Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore, with Lindsay Park and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock going to NZ$250,000 to secure the filly at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Book 1 Yearling Sale earlier this year.
“For her to come out and win The Debutant, probably wasn’t what we were thinking when we bought her,” Hayes said of the filly, who was an October 20 born foal.
“But she just kept improving and kept showing us that she could get there. Her trial leading up was good and we thought why not.
“She’s a stakes winner now, so maybe the Blue Diamond or something like that would be right up her alley.”
Winning rider Ethan Brown said the filly had come on in leaps and bounds from a jumpout at Caulfield a fortnight ago.
“My feedback after that trial here at Caulfield was that she probably lacked a bit of substance, but she is very professional and that will take her a long way,” Brown said.
“Funnily enough, she feels like she has strengthened again from that trial, they put the winkers on, which proved to be the winning move. The boys are such terrific trainers in general but are especially good with a young horse.
“From that gate, I gave her a squeeze to get her into the bridle, she lobbed into a beautiful position, and she got up on the bit.
“I just had to dodge heels there for a bit coming around the corner, but she really flowed into it well.
“I thought we hit the front a bit soon, but luckily those winkers were on, she kept her focus and was strong through the line.”
With Wednesday’s victory, Torture became the first individual winner for Sword Of State, who has been represented by one other runner.
The stallion’s first crop of yearlings were all the rage at the sales across Australasia earlier this year and Wednesday’s result will be welcome for buyers who put their faith and money on the line to snare his progeny.
In New Zealand, 33 of Sword Of State’s yearlings realised NZ$4,540,300, selling for an average of NZ$137,584, headed by a colt who sold to Mulberry Racing for NZ$540,000. Meanwhile, in Australia, the stallion’s eight yearlings to sell at public auction made $1,690,000, with a recorded average of $211,250.
In fact, such was the clear message from the buying benches, Cambridge Stud responded by increasing the stallion’s fee from $15,000 to $20,000 (all fees plus GST) for the 2025 season.
Torture is raced by a syndicate headed by passionate Richmond supporter John O’Neill and sports silks featuring the famed yellow and black.
The Hayes team have saddled the first two winners of Victorian two-year-old races after colt Eurocanto (Per Incanto) won the Maribyrnong Trial (Listed, 1000m) earlier this month.
Torture’s victory continues a great run of form for breeder Sir Owen Glenn who bred last Saturday’s Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Transatlantic (Sntizel).
“Fittingly, he bred this filly’s Group 1-winning sire Sword Of State and was keen to support him,” Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham said.
“He is a big supporter of our industry, and he will get great satisfaction from that win. He happily remained in the ownership after she was purchased by Lindsay Park and the mare has a lovely yearling filly by Proisir.”