Manton Park Stud resident Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when the Ralph Beckett-trained Matters Most (GB) prevailed in Thursday's £10,000 Byerley Stud British EBF Novice S. over five furlongs at Salisbury.
Originally sold for 135,000gns as a foal, the colt was knocked down at 500,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 to Richard Knight on behalf of Saleh Al Homaizi and was one of 17 horses later reoffered privately through Tattersalls when payment for the yearlings was not forthcoming.
Mick Kinane stepped in to buy Matters Most on behalf of Robert Ng after the colt had been broken in at Vicarage Farm by jockey Adam Kirby and his partner Megan Evans.
“Obviously a lot of people liked him at the sale and after what happened there was the possibility to try to negotiate something,” explained Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, racing manager to the Hong Kong-based Ng.
“Adam did a really nice job with the horse and was really happy with him. He just seems to be very mature and very professional. Ralph has always liked him. He is a big, imposing colt with a nice attitude.”
He continued, “Mick Kinane rode for Robert Ng and when Mick bought [multiple Group 1 winner] Romantic Warrior, Robert said, 'If Mick could find me something nice I'd really appreciate it'.
“As a general rule, Mr Ng doesn't buy a lot of yearlings, he usually likes to have seen them race. But he was very keen to renew the link with Mick and on this occasion it just seemed the right thing to do. Mick got on to Tatts, and Mr Ng was able to negotiate a settlement with them.”
With two starts and a win for Matters Most, naturally thoughts turn to Royal Ascot, but Pritchard-Gordon advised that the colt's programme will be very much set by his trainer.
“We'll see what Ralph wants to do with him next,” he said. “Robert Ng is very patient and he's not someone who would put any pressure on a trainer to go somewhere in particular. If Ralph wants to go to Ascot he can go, and if Ralph wants to do something else, Mr Ng wouldn't argue.”
Pritchard-Gordon added, “When Mr Ng bought him, the original idea was that he was going to go to Hong Kong and then he decided to leave him in Europe for the time being. He's a mature and likeable youngster and, with that pedigree, you hope he's a horse you can get straight on with.”
1st-Salisbury, £10,000, Nov, 5-4, 2yo, 5fT, 1:03.20, g/s.
MATTERS MOST (GB) (c, 2, Advertise {GB}–Squash {GB} {MGSP-Eng}, by Pastoral Pursuits {GB}) shaped with promise when third on debut over this trip at Newbury last month and he escaped the early skirmishes to stalk the pace in a close-up second here. Launching his bid passing the quarter-mile marker, the 6-5 favourite inched ahead entering the final furlong and kept on strongly from there to account for Liv My Life (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) by a 1 1/4 lengths, becoming the first winner for his freshman sire (by Showcasing {GB}). Matters Most is the third foal and scorer produced by G3 Nell Gwyn S. runner-up and G3 Chartwell Fillies' S. third Squash (GB) (Pastoral Pursuits {GB}). He is a half-brother to GIII San Simoen S. victor Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) and a yearling colt by Sergei Prokofiev.
135,000gns Wlg '21 TATFOA; 500,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $8,363.
O-Robert Ng; B-Kirtlington Stud & Mrs Mary Taylor (GB); T-Ralph Beckett.
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