While Warwoven was weaving his magic at Rosehill, a similar group of connections, also featuring the Cunningham family’s Ridgmont, were celebrating down in Flemington where Gr.2 Todman Stakes winner Paradoxium returned in style to win the Gr.3 Poseidon Stakes.
Bearing the bottle green and white silks of part-owners Yulong, the son of Extreme Choice was having his first run down the straight and proved himself too tricky to catch for his rivals. The colt had well and truly taken the lead with 400 metres of the 1100-metre spring left to go and required little revving to maintain a one-length lead over ante-post favourite Mbube (Rubick) at the line, with Gr.3 Chairman’s Stakes winner Big Sky (Bivouac) in third.
Baker – who had travelled down to Melbourne for the run – had hoped the colt would prove himself worthy of a tilt at the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes down the straight next month, a race Baker has previously won with Ozzmosis who now stands at stud at Newgate Farm.
“That’s exciting seeing a beautiful colt like that,” Baker said. “He’s got a great attitude and a great action. Speaking pre-race, I did everything but declare him.
“Jason (Collett) knows this guy very well. We were able to get a good jump-out into him down the back straight at Warwick Farm and I’ve had a remarkable run in these straight races at Flemington. I love coming down here and I thought he was a good chance. He was very good and he had to carry a little bit more weight than the others as well.”
There is a lot of water under the bridge between this win and October 31, but Baker believes he has the horse to make it happen.
“Hopefully we can get back here for the Coolmore,” he said. “He reminded me a bit of Ozzmosis half-way through that run. You dream, and you dream big.”
It is far from the first time that the Cunninghams have been in the racing ownership of a potential stallion. Coolmore Stud’s Storm Boy, who welcomes his first foals this spring, began his racing career in their colours before his future home bought equity back in him.
Sales: Offered by Silverdale Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Paradoxium was purchased by Bjorn Baker, Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), and Ridgmont for $400,000. Yulong purchased shares in the colt in late March.
Pedigree: One of 19 stakes winners for Extreme Choice, Paradoxium is the first foal of Listed-placed Paredo (Better Than Ready), who is a half-sister to stakes-performed Snipzu (Snippetson) as well as to Happy Pilgrim (Congrats {USA}), the dam of Gr.1 Galaxy Handicap victor and Yulong sire Private Harry.
Yulong bought the Zoustar half-sister to Paradoxium for $1.1 million at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Written for TTRAusNZ
