Fastnet Rock Sprinter Soars to New Heights
Brilliant sprinter Passive Aggressive (4m Fastnet Rock x Miss Judgement x by Strategic) produced a career best performance at Randwick on Saturday to down glamour sprinters Eduardo and Giga Kick in the Group II ATC Challenge Stakes (1000m).
Prepared by Grahame Begg, Passive Aggressive won her first four starts in a row last year culminating in a Listed victory at Flemington before finishing fourth in the Group III MRC Cockram Stakes.
Spelled immediately after, Passive Aggressive was racing for the first time this year in the WFA sprint and nosed out the gallant $6.6 million earner Eduardo to win by a whisker with Everest hero Giga Kick a late closing third.
"I thought she won on the line, but I know coming to Randwick, rail out 6m, outside horses normally get the bob in. Great effort because she hasn't run for six months. She's a bloody good filly,” Grahame Begg said before going to explain the decision to come to Sydney.
"She loves having a bit of bite in the ground. That was the idea why we missed the Melbourne autumn to come up here and get that softer ground,” he said.
"She's a very understated mare. It's only her sixth start in a race to go to a Group 2 weight for age against very good accomplished horses. Great effort.”
Passive Aggressive has the great record of five wins from six starts with prizemoney just shy of $500,000 and Group I races will be the target going forward.
“There's a couple of races. There's obviously the Galaxy (G1), hopefully the T J Smith (G1) maybe in a month's time so we'll work it out from here. But we'll look after the horse and get her home and let the dust settle and make a plan,” Begg added.
Bought by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock at Inglis Easter for $500,000, Passive Aggressive was bred and sold by Cressfield and is a full sister to Group III winning and multiple Group I placed sprinter Missrock, who won over $1.3million.
Passive Aggressive is the final foal from Group III winning Strategic mare Miss Judgement, who was retired from stud duties in 2021 and is a sibling to Group I winner Mrs Onassis and Group III winners Fifth Avenue Lady and Aussies Love Sport.
The value of this prolific Black Type female family was highlighted when Missrock was offered off the track at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2019 where she fetched $2.3 million to the bid of John and Jake Warren and was exported to the UK.