Justify Colt Impressive at Canterbury

US Triple Crown winner Justify sired the trifecta three weeks ago in a midweek colts maiden at Randwick and while we are yet to see the winner of that race Clear Proof (3c Justify x Crystal Fountain, by Stravinsky) go around again the two colts he defeated are now both winners highlighting the strength of form from that race.

Third place-getter that day Dawn Service (3c Justify x Sunlight, by Zoustar) came out and bolted in at Hawkesbury last week and has been entered for the Cox Plate, while second placed Axius (3c Justify x Orontes, by Redoute's Choice) was sent out favourite for a 1200m maiden at Canterbury on Wednesday and led all the way for a comfortable win.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Tim Clark, Axius drew an outside gate so Clark took luck out of the equation when surging straight to the front and Axius was far too strong to the line coasting home to win by more than two lengths.

“He ran fantastic on debut and learned a lot from that and has come on nicely,” said Clark.

“He cruised across, controlled the race and won well. I think they’ve only just scratched the surface with this colt.”

A $200,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Coolmore draft for Dynamic Syndications/Dean Watt Bloodstock/Ciaron Maher Racing, Axius is the first winner for Orontes, an unraced three-quarter by Redoute’s Choice to sister to Group I winner Takedown.

Dynamic Syndications have obviously been well pleased with Axius for a while as they purchased his yearling half-sister by Pierro from Coolmore at Inglis Classic this year for $90,000.

Justify is not coming back to Australia this spring but covered 188 mares here last year at a fee of $77,000 so will have a top class Aussie bred foal crop in 2024.