Sometimes a win or result feels destined to happen, and throughout his career, the talent Angel Capital (Harry Angel {IRE}) has shown has left little debate that he possessed true Group 1 quality.
It seemed more a matter of when than if he would get his spoils, and on Saturday in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield, everything finally fell into place for the Yulong-owned five-year-old, who gained his first victory at the elite level.
There was plenty of tempo as expected, with Regal Award (Ole Kirk) leading in the hands of Lachlan Neindorf, while Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) kept him company on the outside. Craig Williams utilised his inside draw to push Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) up to hold the trail.
Regal Award still had them rolling after the turn and gave a strong kick. Last year’s winner Sepals (Calyx {GB}) peeled through and presented as a winning chance, but on the outside Melham had clear running aboard the good-looking entire and was charging home.
Angel Capital ultimately scored by a comfortable three-quarters of a length from the brave Sepals, while Regal Award and Lady Shenandoah stuck on well for third and fourth respectively.
Chris Waller’s stable representative Darren Beadman praised the horse after he finally secured his first career Group 1 victory.
“He’s (Angel Capital) five-years-old. He’s been unlucky so many times in Group 1’s. Congratulations to Mr Zhang and the whole Yulong team. They are heavily invested here in Australia.
“He’s been deserving of the Group 1 win for so many runs. The way this track panned out today with a good, strong speed up front, Ben (Melham) has the utmost faith in the horse, and he rode him to perfection.”
Melham was equally relieved to see the horse finally secure the elite-level victory his ability had promised for so long.
“Finally. This horse, we’ve sort of praised his ability from day dot. I just knew today, it’s the first time he’s been in a suitable race where I just thought everything would go to plan and in the right conditions.
“Then we got here this morning, they cut the track in half. Honestly, he needs all the track he can get. We weren’t too happy about that, but we found a race with good speed. He got into a good rhythm, and obviously Chris is a master at setting these horses for these races.
“He looked a picture in the yard when I got on him, gave a little pig root going out on the track and then he just rolled to the barriers beautifully in the zone.
“He’s always been like it, he just needs to chill out a little bit, which he’s come a long way. But he’s raced against the best company all the time and he’s stiff not to have won a Group One up until now. As I said, the ability’s there with him. When things go his way, he’s a very, very good horse. He deserves it.”
Sales info: Angel Capital was purchased for $400,000 by Upper Bloodstock from the Mill Park Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Pedigree info: Angel Capital is one of three Group-winners out of the classy Teofilo (IRE) mare Bahamas, who was a winner over 1600 metres and placed in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks, Gr.3 South Australia Fillies Classic and the Listed Alexandra Stakes.
Her other winners are the 10-time winner Berkeley Square (Territories {IRE}) who won at Group 2 level, and Listed level three times, including in the Listed Ballarat Cup twice, her other winner is Senor Toba (Toronado {IRE}) who was a Group 3-winner in both Australia and Hong Kong, and he also placed at Group 1 level also in both jurisdictions.
Written for TTRAusNZ
