October 21, 2024Nadal serves notice of bigger and better wins
Newhaven Park sire Xtravagant (NZ) has a potential spring carnival star on his hands in the form of Nadal, an impressive winner at Caulfield on the midweek program of the Melbourne Racing Club’s feature three day carnival.
Having only his second start since November 2023, the lightly-raced 4-year-old demolished his opposition in a Benchmark 78 over 1100m, running out an easy winner — by a length and three-quarters — despite being eased down by rider Ethan Brown over the closing stages.
Raced in the familiar colours of Ossie Keir and trained on behalf of a large ownership group by Ciaron Maher, Nadal took his record to read two wins and two placings from eight career starts to date — with black-type success beckoning if the manner of his latest victory is anything to go on.
Nadal is already a Randwick-Kensington winner over subsequent Group winner Makarena at the beginning of his 3-year-old season, while the Newhaven Park-bred galloper also placed at Group 2 level in the Run to the Rose (1200m) that same preparation.
Speaking after his emphatic win aboard Nadal at Caulfield, winning rider Ethan Brown commented: “My first sit on him was in a trial the other day and I thought, ‘Geez, he’s come back well this horse’.
“I was expecting him to win today but the fashion he did it in, he showed his true colours… He’s an above-average horse who can go on with it.”
Asked about Nadal’s best qualities, Brown replied in part: “His turn of foot was electric… That’s what impressed me the most.”
Nadal was produced by Moshki, a 2-year-old stakes winning daughter of Moshe from the family of Group 1 Australian Oaks winner Alcove.
A remarkable producer, Moshki has had seven foals to date, all of which have been sired by Xtravagant. These include a colt sold at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $340,000 to Apollo Bloodstock/Dermot Farrington Bloodstock, while another full-brother to Nadal is to be offered at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale next January.
Nadal holds an entry for the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) to be run at Rosehill Gardens on November 2.