Ashikaga Graduates to Open Company

30th August 2008

Group One AJC Epsom Handicap contender Ashikaga (5g Fusaichi Pegasus x Tropical Affair, by Danehill) took another step forward when leading throughout to claim his first victory in open company at Rosehill on Saturday.

The powerhouse son of Fusaichi Pegasus has been an easy winner at each of four starts to date and looks a very good horse in the making judging by this performance in which he bolted away to win the 1500 metre open event by more than three lengths as a raging hot favourite.

“He is something special, it’s [Ashikaga] something different,” said winning rider Peter Robl.

“At the 700m he felt like we were doing 15’s which he wasn’t and he was going that easy he started to lose concentration, but as soon as I clicked him up he found five lengths without asking.”

Winning trainer Gai Waterhouse was lavish in her praise of Ashikaga.

“The last horses to do things like that were Grand Armee and Desert War, he’s an outstanding horse, just outstanding - he’ll go any distance, the world’s the limit,” she said.

A home bred for Gooree Stud, Ashikaga has been given all the time in the world and obviously has ability, as did his half-sister Matras, a Group Three winner in Melbourne by Zabeel.

Ashikaga and Matras are from the stakes-winning Danehill mare Tropical Affair, who comes from the family of Princess Talaria.