Marsh launching Group 1 operation in Sydney

4 min read

Written by Paul Vettise

Stephen Marsh is on an Australian mission to secure a lucrative life after racing for three members of his highly successful Cambridge stable.

He has a trio of stallion prospects with confirmed plans for a double-handed attack on next month’s $2 million G1 Australian Derby at Randwick, while another is aiming for a share of the Sydney sprinting spoils.

Marsh will be represented in the Classic by his G1 New Zealand Derby winner Crown Prosecutor (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and Vernanme (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) with Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) overcoming a set-back to have his autumn campaign back on track.

There has been buyer interest in Marsh’s pair of 3-year-olds, but with nothing concrete coming forward the colts will head to Australia.

Crown Prosecutor (outside) winning the G1 NZ Derby

“No-one has put their hands up, they don’t want to commit so they’re going over,” he said. “Both of them have bounced through the Derby very well.”

“Both of them have bounced through the Derby very well.” – Stephen Marsh.

Crown Prosecutor produced the shock of the season when he won the Ellerslie feature at better than 100-1 and he will make his Australian debut in the G2 Tulloch S. over 2000 metres at Rosehill on March 30.

“We’re not worried at all by the seven-day back-up into the Derby,” Marsh said. “We were looking at Brisbane with him, but we’ll go this way.

“He wasn’t originally nominated for the Derby and if he runs well we’ll pay up. We haven’t got a rider yet and have got a few feelers out.”

“We haven’t got a rider yet and have got a few feelers out.” – Stephen Marsh.

Crown Prosecutor is the first horse raced by the ownership party of Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock and Harvey and Linda Green’s Huntingdale Lodge.

Petagna’s bloodstock and racing manager Bruce Perry was commissioned by the Greens to purchase the horse at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale. He was secured out of Woodside Park Stud’s draft for $50,000 with Petagna later taking a half share.

Vernanme is raced by breeders Kevin Hickman, of Valachi Downs, and Vern Trillo and will attempt to emulate his sister Shamrocker (NZ). She won the Derby and the G1 Australian Guineas while another full sibling Bohemian Lily (NZ) won the G2 The Roses.

Their half-sister Rock Diva (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn) won the G1 Auckland Cup.

“He got into an awkward spot and it was an unusually run race.” – Stephen Marsh.

The winner of one of his seven starts, Vernanme finished runner-up in the G1 Levin Classic and third in the G2 Waikato Guineas before running midfield in the Derby.

“He got into an awkward spot and it was an unusually run race.” Marsh said. “A few of them got into trouble.

“Vernanme never got into a comfortable rhythm and just didn’t look comfortable.

“Vernanme never got into a comfortable rhythm and just didn’t look comfortable.” – Stephen Marsh.

“He’ll take a different path and run in the Rosehill Guineas with Opie Bosson to ride. The colt is better-suited to the two weeks before the Derby.”

Vernanme

The Guineas is on the programme of the glamour 3-year-old The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), but the stable is unfazed.

“Anything can happen and we’ll be there to attack,” Marsh said. “It’s the perfect lead-up to the Derby for our horse.”

“We’ve got the green light now and his blood is perfect.” - Stephen Marsh.

Ardrossan went to Sydney with the intention of running the 4-year-old in the G1 Canterbury S., but plans were shelved after he arrived with a temperature and his blood wasn’t 100 per cent.

“We’ve got the green light now and his blood is perfect,” Marsh said. “He’ll trial at Rosehill on March 18 and then run in a Group 3 race (Star Kingdom S.) over 1200 metres at Rosehill on March 30.”

Ardrossan won the G3 Concorde H. two runs back and then finished third in the G1 BCD Group Sprint.

A $150,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale purchased out of Arrowfield Stud’s draft, he is raced by a breeding syndicate that includes Waikato Stud, Jamieson Park, Jomara Bloodstock and Petagna.