Derby Winner for So You Think

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable were back in the winner’s circle in Hobart on Friday evening when promising gelding Northwest Passage (3g So You Think x Danevade, by Danehill) scored a dominant victory in the Listed $100,000 Tasmanian Derby. An easy debut winner at Hawkesbury over 1300 metres in November, Northwest Passage won his next start at Canterbury in December and was then a close third at Randwick on January 2. A runaway last start win in the Hobart Guineas saw him sent out hot favourite for the Derby over 2200 metres with regular partner Adam Hyeronimus steering him to a three and a quarter length win. "He only does what he has to and he's pretty relaxed," Hyeronimus said. "Because they bowled along at a pretty quick tempo, I was off the bridle early and I gave him a bit of a dig and he didn't really pick up and I thought "oh gee'. "It wasn't until I hit him with the stick that it was game on and he went up to them and really went on with it." Tulloch Lodge representative Neil Paine said the Australian or South Australian Derbies were possible autumn targets for Northwest Passage as his campaign progressed. "He'll stay all day and he'll go to 2400(m)," Paine said. "He could have gone around again. He was only getting warmed up at the finish." With four wins and a third from five starts and $179,000 in prizemoney, Northwest Passage is one of three stakes-winners for champion racehorse and promising sire So You Think joining La Diosa and Gold Rush. Bred by Morning Rise Stud, Northwest Passage passed in at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when offered by Newgate Farm and is the second winner for Group II placed Danevade, a sibling to Group II winner Shania Dane, HK Classic Mile Winner Scintillation and stakes-winner Risk Aversion. The current yearling from Danevade, a colt by Pierro was passed in at Magic Millions when offered by Coolmore, and Danevade is now in foal to Coolmore’s Golden Slipper winner Vancouver. With his oldest progeny now three year-olds, So You Think has made a strong start to his stud career and is a close third on the Leading Australian Second Season Sires List.