First Winner for Vancouver

New Year’s Day racing at Randwick produced the first winner for exciting young sire Vancouver with the success of Tulloch Lodge debutant Vangelic (2f Vancouver x Angel Bee, by Pins), who was the equal most expensive lot by her sire at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Nash Rawiller had Vangelic travelling sweetly behind the speedy Ashra Jahre and the talented filly took control of the race at the 300 metres.

Prepared by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, she was strong to the line in taking out the 1100 metre maiden by a length and a half.

Stable representative Neil Paine said it was fitting that the stable trained the first winner by their Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.

“Our horses always improve stacks from their trials and that showed today. Nash rode her in the trial and thought she had a chance today," Paine said.

“Gai and Adrian will be over the moon because that is Vancouver’s first winner and the owners in this horse actually owned Vancouver, so they are over the moon.

“When you look at her in the yard she looks so babyish compared to the other fillies who looked big and strong, so for her to come out and win today is quite remarkable.

“It will be up to Gai and Adrain what she does from here, but they will do the right thing no matter what happens.”

Purchased by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing for $400,000 out of the Segenhoe Stud draft at the Gold Coast, Vangelic is the fourth foal and third winner out of the multiple stakes-placed Pins mare Angel Bee, a half-sister to the stakes-placegetters O’Angel and Turnstiles out of the Group III winning Zabeel mare Zabeels Angel.

Vancouver had one other runner in Australia on New Year’s Day, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained filly Night Raid who made a promising start to her career when beaten just over a length into fourth place in the opener at Flemington.

Vancouver came close to breaking his duck on the first day for the new season two year-olds when Postcode finished second in the Group III Arrowfield Breeders' Plate and Ticket To Ride was third in the Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes, while another daughter of Vancouver, Canadian Spice, finished third in the valuable Inglis Nursery.

The 2015 ATC Golden Slipper winner has 21 entries to the Magic Millions, 14 at the Inglis Classic and 16 at the Inglis Premier.