Tarzino three-year-old Natural Mystic may not be the finished article yet, but he is an exciting work in progress for his Cranbourne-based conditioners.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained representative has impressed in a short career to date and looks to have a gilt-edged opportunity to add to his burgeoning record at Flemington on Saturday.
Natural Mystic has been blessed with a handy barrier in the Sir Henry Bolte Handicap over 2000 metres and rider Patrick Moloney will be able to give the three-year-old every chance to return to winning ways.
He suffered his first defeat over the same course and distance earlier this month, but he had a valid excuse after jumping from the outside gate and had to work overtime to cross the field before finishing fifth and less than 1.5l off the winner.
“He’s good and he drew 15 the other day and got posted, he didn’t have much joy and did plenty of work. He stuck on well and from a better gate I am sure he will run well,” Price said.
“I am mindful though that everything he is doing is off his first racing preparation, but he has continued to work well.”
Natural Mystic made a winning start to his career in April when he triumphed over 1600 metres at Pakenham had then no trouble claiming top honours in a competitive age group event over an extra 400 metres at Flemington last month.
Bred by Rosemont Stud, he was purchased for A$65,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by Price who shares in the ownership group.
Natural Mystic has a strong international black-type pedigree that has also starred at the elite level in Australia.
He is a son of the imported English-bred mare Silver Haze, an unraced daughter of Pivotal who is a half-sister to Seville.
He finished runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby, the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and the G1 Racing Post Trophy before relocating to Robert Hickmott’s stable and in 2013 won the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and was second in the G1 Turnbull Stakes.
Natural Mystic’s sire Tarzino also starred during New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale with three youngsters by the Westbury resident selling for $350,000 with a leading price of $150,000.
The top lot was offered by Highline Thoroughbreds and the filly from the family of the former Singapore Horse of the Year Infantry was knocked down to agent Phill Cataldo.
Lansdowne Park purchased the Tarzino colt from Jamieson Park’s draft for $110,000 and it also went to $90,000 to secure another colt offered by Brighthill Farm.
Also of major Westbury Stud interest on Saturday’s Flemington card will be D’Aguilar, an exciting son of High Chaparral who steps out over 1630 metres in The David Bourke.
The lightly raced six-year-old has won five of his seven starts from Patrick Payne’s stable and was successful last time out at Caulfield where he resumed from a nine-month spell.
Billy Egan will continue his association with the Watson Bloodstock-bred gelding who has plenty to live up to as he is a half-brother to the multiple Stakes winner and Group 1 performer, The Inferno.
A Singapore Horse of the Year before he relocated to Australia when trainer Cliff Brown returned home, Inferno was purchased out of Westbury’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft for $140,000.
D’Aguilar was bought a year earlier from the Karaka farm’s Ready to Run Sale consignment by respected bloodstock agent John Foote for $130,000.
He is the first foal of the Redoute’s Choice mare Spina Rosa, who has an unraced Ocean Park juvenile named Marina Rosa and a Pierro yearling.
The dam is closely related to former star performer Lotteria, successful in the G1 Myer Classic and the G1 Flight Stakes and the family of this season’s G3 Manawatu Cup winner and farm graduate Marroni.