More Group One Glory for Racing to Win

3rd May 2008

Top class performer Racing to Win (5g Encosta de Lago x Surrealist, by Kenny's Best Pal) unleashed his customary turn of foot at Randwick on Saturday to claim his first Group One victory of the season in the AJC All Aged Stakes over 1400 metres.

The gelded grey son of Encosta de Lago missed more than a year of racing through injury and EI, but has come back with a vengeance this autumn and looked every bit the Racing to Win of old as he strode past classy three year-old colt Murtajill (3c Rock of Gibraltar x Skating, by At Talaq)) to score by a length with recent Group One winner Casino Prince in third place.

“He’s finally got himself fit and on the job today and we know when he’s like that he’s a great horse,” said winning trainer John O’Shea.

“They ran great time today and he was wide and did it with a bit of authority, as I said to Hugh (Bowman), ‘if they are good enough to be even money you just ride them like that, they don’t need to be ridden pretty’ and he rode him accordingly.”

Purchased for a paltry $40,000 by John O’Shea at the 2004 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and raced by Trevor Stuckey and Penny Yan, Racing to Win has gone on to become one of the great ‘saleyard gifts’ winning 11 races and $3.3 million his many career highlights including five Group One victories.

Bred and offered for sale by Boscobel Stud, Racing to Win is the second foal of the Kenny’s Best Pal mare Surrealist, who has done an excellent job at stud.

Purchased by Coolmore for $1.6 million at the 2006 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, she is also the dam of Group Three winning three year-old Purrealist and stakes-placed mare Distilled and her yearling colt by Fastnet Rock fetched $220,000 for Coolmore at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale this year when knocked down to Nick Williams.

Racing to Win is one of 12 stakes-winners this season for Australia’s current number one sire Encosta de Lago and is his third Group One winner in Australia since August 1 joining Sirmione and Shadoways, while Princess Coup has won at the elite level in New Zealand and Sacred Kingdom in Hong Kong.