New Group One Winner for Fastnet

The magic run continued for rising super sire Fastnet Rock at Moonee Valley on Friday night when his brilliant son Foxwedge (3c Fastnet Rock x Forest Native, by Forest Wildcat) turned the tables on gun sprinters Hay List and Buffering to win the Group I MRC William Reid Stakes over 1200 metres. Foxwedge has been knocking on the door of a Group I win for some time now finishing third to Hay List in the Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap and second to Sepoy in the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring, following a two year-old season that saw him competitive with the best of his generation. Third up from a spell in the William Reid, John O’Shea had him cherry ripe for battle and under a perfect ride from Nash Rawiller, Foxwedge delivered on all the promise he has always shown. He stalked Buffering and Hay List from the jump and when asked for top gear in the straight, knuckled down and powered home to grab Hay List by a three-quarters of a length on the line. “It’s been well documented all the trouble John has had with his court case, so it’s a great result,” said an elated Bryce Heys, Stable Foreman for John O’Shea. “He’s been close before and has always displayed enormous ability, so it’s great to come here at weight-for-age against a genuine Group I field and win.” A $925,000 purchase for bloodstock agent James Harron, formerly of De Burgh Equine, from the Luskin Park draft at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Foxwedge is raced by Dr and Mrs Edmund Bateman and has the overall record of five wins and four placings from 12 starts with prizemoney in excess of $930,000. “Full credit to James Harron on his yearling selection which is second to none, he’s a young bloodstock agent that is really on the rise,” said Heys. “Foxwedge has always had that electric turn of foot and he showed it tonight. It’s something that will stand him in good stead in the future when he goes to stud.” With the retirement to stud of his former rival Smart Missile, Foxwedge is now seen as the best son of Fastnet Rock currently racing and as such is the subject of keen interest from all the major farms. He is the first stakes-winner for his dam Forest Native (USA), a stakes-placed daughter of Forest Wildcat from the family of US Group III winner Count the Time. Forest Native has enjoyed a remarkable week having produced three winners in the space of seven days, her two year-old daughter She’s a Fox (full sister to Foxwedge) winning on debut at Canterbury last Friday night and her four year-old son Larch scoring at Hamilton on Monday. Luskin Park will offer the current yearling from Forest Native, another filly by Fastnet Rock at the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 164. Foxwedge is the second Group I winner by Fastnet Rock bred and sold by Luskin Park joining Rock Classic, winner of the Group I VRC Australian Guineas. Foxwedge is the ninth Group I winner for Fastnet Rock, who enjoyed a stakes double on the night with three year-old filly Empress Rock earlier taking out the Group II MVRC Sportingbet Classic.