Second Newmarket for Gilgai Farm

The Quarterback became the first Australian-bred Group 1 winner for Darley Victoria sire Street Boss in the $1.25 million Newmarket Hcp (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

It was also a Group 1 first for Cranbourne trainer Robbie Griffiths while Gilgai Farm breeder Rick Jamieson was winning the time-honoured sprint for the second time following Black Caviar in 2011.

The Quarterback (5g Street Boss – Soorena by Encosta De Lago) tracked the favourite Chautauqua before angling to the outside fence to defeat Black Heart Bart by a head in the Newmarket.  “Winning a Group 1 at headquarters in the best sprint race in Australia is just amazing,” Griffiths said.  “I told Craig (Newitt) to follow Chautauqua and he rode a perfect race.”

Makybe sold The Quarterback for $120,000 as agent for Gilgai Farm at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  Griffiths prepares him for a syndicate that includes Hayden Allen, John Armstrong , Sunil Dhupelia, Shane Doyle, Ross Dunwoody, Richard Gudykunst, Tim Ivers, Oliver Kysela, Aaron Lamshed, Deane Lester, Paul Miall, Craig Pearce, John Schuijers and Austin Miller.

“I trained his grand dam Suraya and she was a metropolitan winner,” Griffiths recalled.  “He’s an August foal and was a smashing looking colt at the yearling sales.”

Jamieson also bred his older half-brother Philippi (Host) to win the G2 Tulloch Stakes before the gelding was transferred to Hong Kong.  “Of this year’s dozen foal crop, the two stars are the half-brother to The Quarterback and the half-sister to Jameka,” Jamieson tweeted on the weekend.  “Both will be offered for sale in 2017.”

Jamieson also part-owns Saturday’s G2 Phar Lap Stakes winner Hattori Hanzo (Sebring) with Peter Anastasiou, Ken Biddick and trainer Mick Kent.

Meanwhile, Street Boss has another Group 1 winner in waiting in the USA.  His unbeaten filly Cathryn Sophia is quoted at $13 in pre-post markets for the Kentucky Oaks on May 6.