Former Arrowfield shuttler Gio Ponti (USA) was represented by his first winner in Canada on Friday.
Most Inspiring (2f Gio Ponti – Chemise by Secret Hello) did the honours on debut with a three length victory over 1200 metres on turf at Woodbine. The grey filly is a half-sister to four stakes winners and was a $57,000 buy from the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale for owner Derek Chin.
Castleton Lyons in Kentucky stands Gio Ponti for a $15,000 fee. There are 110 two year-olds in his first northern crop and 6 of them have faced the starter to date.
Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) earned $6.17 million from Group 1 victories in the Arlington Million, Man o’ War Stakes (2), Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (2), and Manhattan Hcp. He arrived at Arrowfield amid a blaze of publicity in August 2012, however, there was only minimal support with just 52 mares covered at a $22,000 (inc gst) fee.
That sole Arrowfield crop are rising two year-olds. Top price at this year’s majors was the Gio Ponti filly from Illusionary (Hussonet) that made $110,000 to the bid of Greg Hickman at the Inglis Melbourne Premier.