ANQUETIL GETS ON BIKE AT THE ‘RAT

Cranbourne trainer, Robbie Griffiths, will be pounding the pavement over the next week or two, searching for tomorrow’s stars at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Robbie always buys a few out of Melbourne, but he’s a real ‘have catalogue, will travel’ kind of guy and does his due diligence at sales throughout Australasia.
He particularly likes the progeny of Bel Esprit (his homebred, Beltrois, won the Doveton Stakes-LR at Caulfield in January) and purchased two colts by Victoria’s Champion Sire at the 2007 Inglis Sydney Classic.
The now 4YO from Kala Dancer mare, Gogo Doll, is named Cascabel and – off a $18,000 purchase price – has subsequently pocketed close to $130,000 in stakes from three wins and six placings.
The other – a colt from Naturalism mare, Natural Jackie, cost Robbie a whole lot less …. just $3,000 as a matter of fact.
Dubbed Anquetil, after the famous French cyclist, this Bel Esprit blew them away at Ballarat on Thursday (18 February), winning his second career outing by a massive five lengths.
It was some run. With Danny Brereton on board, the bay settled last until the turn for home and, racing wide, swallowed them whole.
To see just how impressive it was, check out the run by clicking here.
Let’s put it this way … I’d like to be as sure of backing a winner on Saturday as Robbie looking at every Bel Esprit stabled at Oaklands Junction.