Outstanding colt Private Life emerged as one of the new stars of Australian racing when he beat a crack field in Saturday’s A$3 million Gr1 Caulfield Guineas.
Private Life’s win in the Caulfield Guineas was the highlight on a massive day of success for Magic Millions graduates and came just over half an hour after the Group One win of recent National Broodmare Sale purchase Deny Knowledge.
Damian Lane keeps Private Life going to win a cracker (Pic – Magic Millions)
Expected by many punters to be fighting for minor prizemoney behind boom colt Broadsiding, Private Life was able to lead throughout in the sire making Caulfield classic for three-year-olds.
A son of champion sire Written Tycoon, Private Life was a A$650,000 purchase for Coolmore’s Tom Magnier from last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt was sold through the Arrowfield Stud draft and is trained by master Sydney horseman Chris Waller.
The ride from Damian Lane was sublime – he sent the colt to the front and rated him perfectly to hold out all rivals over the concluding stages.
“No, it certainly wasn’t (the plan to lead).” Waller’s Racing Manager and Assistant Trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
“When you put these world-class jockeys on like Damian, who obviously was successful for us only seven days ago at this elite level, you’ve got to leave a little bit to them, but ultimately the idea was to just try and settle around midfield.”
“But he began so well, Damian must have taken it into his own hands and to his credit, he’s played an absolute masterstroke. So, full credit to Damien, he does plenty of homework.”
“He came here to gallop on Tuesday as Joao Moreira in his first up run just mentioned that he took a little bit of time to balance around the Caulfield turn, so that’s why we brought him back here for a gallop.”
“Damian was on that morning and he’s on again today and it’s amazing. Obviously, these stallion syndicates are unbelievable. They’re pumping a lot of money into the game, but they need to get results and they’ve certainly got a good result today.”
Duckworth said that Waller and all connections has always held Private Life in the highest of regard.
“We’ve always maintained that he’s a good horse. I know at the start of the preparation, I think he won a benchmark 64 at Warwick Farm and now he’s just won a Caulfield Guineas. But look, we’ve had faith in the horse. We haven’t lost that.”
“The team at home and Coolmore themselves, they just do a fantastic job to get them here in one piece. So, yeah, it’s pretty exciting.”
Despite the margin being close coming to the line, Damian Lane was confident he’d won the sire making contest.
“Yeah, got desperately close on the line, so, yeah, I was just hoping. I thought I’d held on, but I never want to crow it.”
“It’s obviously a race with great prestige. I’ve been close a few times, so to win one is great. And just to repay a bit of faith in Chris Waller, Charlie Duckworth, and the ownership group is a big thrill.”
Lane said there was no use overthinking the race with the boom Godolphin colt Broadsiding sent out a hot favourite. He finished fourth, a length and a quarter adrift.
“I mean, every horse is beatable, so you just have to go out with a mindset of riding your horse the best you can, and that’s all you can do. You can only paddle your own canoe and let the rest look after themselves.”
Private Life is from Aliyana Tilde, a Group winning and three time Group One placed daughter of Snitzel, who like Written Tycoon and Private Life himself was sold at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Aliyana Tilde, an Epona Stakes winner and Australian Oaks runner-up, is the dam of four winners from five runners, while one of her unraced daughters has produced the stakes winner Noah ‘n’ a Deel.
It’s the same family as quality sprinter The Astrologist as well as Freestyle, Smytzer’s Trish and Stella Artois.
Private Life’s win in the Caulfield Guineas capped an incredible day for Magic Millions graduates with other stakes winning stars including Deny Knowledge (Group One Might and Power), El Castello (Group Three Gloaming), Olentia (Group Three Nivison), Anode (Listed Tapp-Craig) and Yellow Brick (Listed Members Cup).
- Winner: Private Life
- Breeding: Written Tycoon-Aliyana Tilde (Snitzel)
- Race: MRC Caulfield Guineas Gr1 (1600m)
- Sold for: A$650 000
- Sale: 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
- Earnings: A$1 930 000
- Breeder: Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd & Planette Thoroughbred, Belford Productions Pty Ltd
- Vendor: Arrowfield Stud
- Buyer: Tom Magnier
- Owners: Coolmore, Wynaus, Westerberg, J Poulin, Sir PJ Vela, Lynque, Woppitt Bloodstock, Peachester Lodge Pty Ltd, Rockingham Thoroughbreds, K MacLennan, Aristia Park Bloodstock Pty Ltd & Meridian Bloodstock
- Trainer: Chris Waller (Flemington)
