Super field assembled for headline event in Inglis Race Series.
Inglis is thrilled with the timeslot it has for the $2 million Inglis Millennium, but it is desperately hoping for a clear run at it with the headline event in their Inglis Race Series.
Preferably starting this Saturday, when the 2023 edition will be run at Randwick, a day before the Inglis Classic Sale starts in Sydney.
After four years as a $250,000 event, the Millennium had its prizemoney increased to $2 million in 2019, when it was won by subsequent two-time Group 1 winner Castelvecchio.
But, as Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch noted, it has been anything but smooth sailing since.
"This race has had to establish itself through a challenging set of circumstances," Hutch said.
"The first running was a fantastic success at Warwick Farm, a really good horse won the race in Castelvecchio, who beat a pretty good field that year.
"But the second year got rained off (postponed), the third year we had the pandemic, the fourth year we had the pandemic, so ultimately we're now at a point where this is the first normal lead in that this race as had in a traditional sense."
After Castelvecchio, Prime Star won a Millennium that was run on a Wednesday, Profiteer rocketed to the head of Golden Slipper betting with his 5-1/4-length win in 2021 and Xtravagant Star won last year's edition.
But this year has drawn what appears the strongest edition, a field of 16 plus four emergencies, headlined by Annabel Neasham's Golden Slipper favourite Learning To Fly, a $900,000 daughter of Justify who won the Group 3 Widden Stakes on debut.
The Chris Waller-trained Lazzago (Capitalist), who defeated spruik colt Snapback on debut, $1.7 million Easter yearling Kundalani, a daughter of I Am Invincible and Ruud Awakening, the speedy Mexico (Capitalist) and the trifecta from the $500,000 Inglis Nursery – Saltaire (Star Turn), Facile (Trapeze Artist) and Blanc De Blanc (I Am Invincible) – are also engaged.
"The timing of the race is fantastic for the Golden Slipper, which is only five weeks away from Saturday," Hutch said.
"So, it's not that far away and there are horses that are in the race on Saturday that almost certainly will be candidates to have a role to play in the Slipper should they run well on Saturday."
Kundalani is the most expensive yearling engaged in the 1100m event, while fourth emergency Chop The Ice (Santos) – an $8000 buy at the Classic Highway session – is the most affordable.
The Player is the least expensive of those guaranteed a run in the race with the son of Winning Rupert, who won a Sunshine Coast maiden on debut, a $50,000 buy at Classic.
The Millennium carries a $1.15m winner's cheque, along with a $400,000 bonus for the first horse home that is a paid-up member of the Pink Bonus concept, which is for horses who are 75 percent owned or leased by female owners.
Facile, Lazzago and The Player are all eligible for the Pink Bonus, along with Arkansaw Kid – a son of Harry Angel who collected a $200,000 Pink Bonus for his win in the Inglis Banner at The Valley on Cox Plate Day – and third emergency Chevron (Spieth).
The fill field for this year's Inglis Millennium, all purchase prices and sibling stats are available here
