Sebring Stayer Wins G3 Premier’s Cup
Foaled and raised at Widden Stud, progressive Sebring stayer Wu Gok ploughed through the mud to win the Group III ATC Premier’s Cup at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Chris Waller trained six year-old has a great record on wet tracks and revelled in the conditions to win the 1900 metre contest by a length for Tommy Berry taking his overall record to eight wins and nine placings from 31 starts with prizemoney in excess of $480,000.
“He has been a fantastic horse through the winter. It was a good win, a well deserved win for him and he might head to Wyong on Friday as well to have another race before he goes out for a well earned break,” said Waller.
A $120,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Anton Koolman Bloodstock / Hermitage Thoroughbreds from the Widden Stud draft, Wu Gok runs in the Heritage Bloodstock colours that have achieved Group I success for the Waller stable aboard Champion 3YO Colt The Autumn Sun and dual Oaks winner Egg Tart, who is also by Sebring.
Bred by Robert Anderson and foaled and raised at Widden Stud, Wu Gok is the first foal of stakes-placed Lipari, whose next two foals are Group I ATC Australian Derby winner Levendi and Group III winner Marcel from Madrid.
Lipari changed hands in 2017 when bought by Twin Hills Stud for $170,000 and was then re-offered again at the same sale this year by Twin Hills in foal to I Am Invincible and was bought by Baramul Stud for $1.6million making her the third highest priced mare of the sale.
Her three year-old Sebring filly called Lombardia also raced on Saturday finishing fourth at Hawkesbury at her third start for the Gary Moore stable. She was a $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Widden draft for George Moore Bloodstock.
Any mare that can produce three stakes-winners from her first three foals is something seriously special so there will be much interest in what the future holds for Lipari, who is only 11.
Wu Gok is the 55th stakes-winner for Widden Stud’s late Golden Slipper winner Sebring, whose last crop of foals will be born this spring.
