Photo: Bruno Cannatelli
Two hours after his close relative Vegas Queen (Proisir) won Saturday’s Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham, quality New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts (Per Incanto) took the family’s day to even greater heights with an Australian Group One triumph in the A$1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
Gringotts was bred by Totara Park Stud and is by Little Avondale Stud’s outstanding sire Per Incanto out of the Savabeel mare Miss Bluebell, whose half-sister Miss Vegas is the dam of Vegas Queen. Herself unraced, Miss Bluebell is a daughter of Operavega, a half-sister to the dam of the legendary Winx.
Gringotts was offered by Archer Park in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where Kasa Bloodstock bought him for $100,000. He was re-offered at the Ready to Run Sale later that year, but failed to meet his $450,000 reserve. He was subsequently sold privately after winning a trial at Waipa for Simon and Katrina Alexander.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts quickly made his mark in Australia, finishing second in his first two starts before stringing together three consecutive wins at Pakenham and Sandown in February and March of 2023.
But it has been within the last 12 months that he has really come of age. He secured his first black-type win in the Listed Members’ Handicap (1600m) at Doomben last May, while the early stages of his current season produced victories in the A$3 million The Big Dance (1600m) and A$1 million The Gong (1600m) along with placings in the Gr.3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) and this month’s Gr.3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m).
Gringotts stepped up to Group One level for the first time in his 20-start career on Saturday, and he produced a career-defining performance.
Ridden by Tommy Berry, Gringotts trailed the front-running Royal Patronage up to the home turn and was travelling with ominous ease coming into the straight. Berry pushed the button and Gringotts dashed to the lead, then held out the powerful finishes of Fangirl and Ceolwulf to win in a three-way photo finish.
“He fought hard for this win today,” Berry said. “Ciaron said to me in the mounting yard, ‘I know the Doncaster is our main aim, but I couldn’t have him any better for today.’ He turned up and he’s just a warhorse. He knows where the line is.”
Gringotts has now won 10 of his 20 starts, placing on another eight occasions and banking more than A$3.6 million.
“This is fantastic,” Maher said. “He trains up at Newcastle on the beach, so I’ve got to thank James Harding and his team.
“Ozzie (Kheir) and heaps of the owners are here today. They just continually find these horses. Him and Jimmysstar, they come into the stable about the same time, by the same stallion, and they’ve both won a Group One at about a similar time. Yeah, rapt for the team, they've done a great job.”
