Australian Cup Win for Super Cool

Champion sire Fastnet Rock posted his 12^th Group I winner at Flemington on Saturday and he did it with a very special three year-old gelding in Super Cool (3g Fastnet Rock x Queen Mother, by Kingmambo) , who scored a thrilling victory over the Victoria Derby hero Fiveandahalfstar in the Group I $1million VRC Australian Cup. The only three year-olds in the field, Super Cool and Fiveandhalfstar proved their class in drawing clear of the older horses, putting four lengths on third place-getter Tanby, who charged home from last. With Glass Harmonium setting a hot tempo in front, the 2000 metre weight-for-age test was always going to be a genuinely run affair with Super Cool tracking Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon  throughout for Michael Rodd before issuing his challenge. When asked to go, he quickly put paid to the older horses before setting out after Fiveandahalfstar and nailed him on the line to win by a short head. “He’s a very promising horse and we’ve always been excited about his chances,” said his trainer Mark Kavanagh. “We set him for this race very early on and here we are today. “We’ll nominate him for everything in the spring and let him choose his own path. “To get a three year-old to win at weight-for-age against these older tougher guys is a big thing and he can go straight to the paddock now for a rest.” A $150,000 Magic Millions purchase for his trainer from the draft of Amarina Farm, Super Cool has won four races and placed three times from nine starts earning some $1.2 million in prizemoney with Michael Rodd aboard him in every start bar one. “He worked unbelievable on Tuesday morning and I thought if I can just have average luck he’ll be too good for them,” Rodd said. In winning the Australian Cup, Super Cool became the first three year-old to do so since the ‘horse from heaven’ Saintly was successful in 1996. Super Cool was bred by SF Bloodstock and is the first foal of Kingmambo mare Queen Mother (USA), a half-sister to US stakes-winners Duality, Bound by Honor and Private Joe from the family of Group I winners Soaring Softly and Plenty of Grace. The reigning champion sire in Australia, Fastnet Rock has an outstanding draft of yearlings for the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.