CYS emerging stars on track at Eagle Farm

Leading the charge is Tom Button-trained gelding Valley Rattler.

Rockhampton’s Capricornia Yearling Sale will be under the spotlight on Saturday. Photo: istock

Rockhampton’s Capricornia Yearling Sale will be under the spotlight on Saturday when some of its emerging stars race at Eagle Farm.

Among them is the ruling favourite for the $125K Capricornia Yearling Sale 2YO Classic (1200m) in the Tom Button-trained Valley Rattler.

The 2YO gelding Valley Rattler (Denman-Forty Winks x Iglesia) will contest the $75K QTIS 2Y0 (1400m).

He is listed as TAB 2 in Race 8 and will carry 57.5kg under Michael Rodd.

Valley Rattler was a last start winner at Eagle Farm, defeating Saturday Sinner over the 1200m distance on March 10 at only his second race appearance.

He is raced by a syndicate headed by Button, with some of its members closely connected with Rockhampton racing.

Last year Valley Rattler was offered for sale at the online CYS but is recorded as being passed in.

His half-sister, a filly by Power (IRE), was sold at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast this week, fetching $37,500 when bought by Graham Lynham.

That yearling and Valley Rattler were bred at Oaklands Stud, Toowoomba, which will offer a sizeable draft at the 2021 CYS at Rockhampton on Sunday, April 11.

The catalogue for the CYS is available at the Rockhampton Jockey Club offices and is widely regarded as the best of its kind in the 25 years of the event.

It includes a batch of yearlings by Raheen Stud, Warwick’s first season stallion Heroic Valour, which sold brilliantly at the Gold Coast this week.

As well, there are yearlings headed for Rockhampton on CYS day sired by Better Than Ready.

They were the flavour of the two-day MM March Sales with buyers chasing the breed when they entered the sales ring.

It should be a similar case in Rockhampton.

Button has another top chance and a CYS graduate racing at Eagle Farm in the well-performed Flying Crackerjack.

A son of Wicked Style (USA) and the Dr Fong mare Perpugilliam, the 4YO is engaged as TAB 3 in Race 8 and will be ridden by James Orman.

Flying Crackerjack will run in the Class 6 Plate (1400m) – a distance he is yet to attempt.

He strung together a sequence of wins last year, culminating with a defeat of his stablemate The Tax Accountant over 1300m at Callaghan Park on October 17.

Raced by a group of Central Queenslanders including John and Bev Gibbs and Al Grimshaw, Flying Crackerjack has been a plentiful earner with $140K to his name.

Button purchased him at the 2018 CYS for $34K.

Button and his big group of owners, including many from Rockhampton, have committed to buying from the CYS on April 11.

“We’ll back up again at the Rocky sale,” John Gibbs said.

At Sunshine Coast races at Corbould Park on Friday night, the Tom Smith-trained Whittington 3YO Oswana was due to start in a 3YO BM 65 (1400m).

At least six of the Whittington stock are listed for sale in Rocky on April 11.

At the Mackay TAB races on Monday, an interesting engagement is that of David Simmons on the John Manzelmann-trained Cinnamon Missile (TAB 1 – R 4).

Simmons retired from race riding on January 20 last year after a highly successful career.

Racing heads to Springsure on Saturday for the gala St Patrick’s Day races.

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