Fastnet Winners Impress at Sandown

The Sandown meeting on Wednesday started with a double for champion sire Fastnet Rock with smart filly Cloudbreaker (2f Fastnet Rock x Surf Poet, by Charge Forward) stamping herself as a horse to follow.

Prepared at Lindsay Park by the Hayes / Dabernig team, Cloudbreaker was second on debut to the Godolphin colt Marnix and then won at the provincials before carrying that good form into tougher metropolitan company.

Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, she overcame an outside gate to hit the line hard and win the 1300m contest by the best part of a length.

“She got beaten by a smart one at Geelong and then was tough when she won the next start and has dug deep again today,” said Dunn.

“She’s doing this on raw talent and will be much better at three when she gets out to a mile.”

A modest $120,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Aquis Farm draft for Mark Pilkington, Cloudbreaker was bred by Emirates Park and is the second winner from Charge Forward mare Surf Poet, a full sister to stakes-winner Rush and half-sister to Group I winner Sweet Idea and Group II winner Showtime.

The Lindsay Park team won the next race with another well bred Fastnet Rock in By a Whisker (3g Fastnet Rock x Cats Whisker, by Fusaichi Pegasus).

He scored a neck win over 1300 metres at his second run since being gelded and can go forward from here.

A $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft for Lindsay Park/ Andrew Williams Bloodstock, By a Whisker is a full brother to Group I winner Catchy and is the sixth winner from six foals to race from Group II winner Cats Whisker, all of those winners sired by Fastnet Rock!

Cats Whisker had a brief flirtation with Pierro, resulting in a filly now named Adorable Miss that made $1.1million at Inglis Easter last year when bought by Orbis Bloodstock.

She has since resumed her partnership with Fastnet Rock and has a yearling filly and a colt foal and was covered by him again last year.