There was a note of urgency in James McDonald’s body language as the field topped the rise in Saturday’s Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championship Final. His mount Spangler (Ire) was making ground so quickly along the fence that there was a very real danger the import might run out of room. The jockey had to get out of that situation pronto and a sudden change of course was required. Spangler’s head was pointed towards the Winx Stand for a couple of strides as he cleared the heels of True Crime. The Irish bred gelding wasn’t entitled to do what he did after the interruption to his momentum. He let down brilliantly to put almost five lengths on the opposition - easily his best performance in ten Australian runs.
The win came as a pleasant consolation for Australian Bloodstock principals Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett who regarded Acquitted as the best of their three runners in the $500,000 dollar race. “Acquitted had been dominant in winning a qualifier at Wyong on a Heavy 10 and had gone along brilliantly since,” said Luke. “We were very disappointed when he displayed virus like symptoms on race morning and had to be scratched. Our other runners Spangler and Willinga Freefall were both drawn off the track, and we left tactics to their riders McDonald and Moreira. McDonald elected to go straight back to second last on Spangler before punching up along the fence. He never stopped getting inside runs, although we had a few anxious moments when he got close to the heels of the two leaders at the 200m. The horse reeled off surprisingly quick closing sectionals.”
The Australian Bloodstock colours are becoming well known all over the world. Spangler did them proud in the Provincial Championship Final - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Luke’s never ending scrutiny of overseas race videos first put him on the trail of Spangler whose two runs in the UK had resulted in a maiden win at Leicester on a yielding track, and a second on the dirt circuit at Lingfield. “His sectional times had been pretty good in those races, and he looked a fluent moving horse with a genuine attitude,” said Luke. “We immediately put our usual routine into gear beginning with a request for all of his x/ray and scan images to be emailed to our office. We got a second opinion on those from our vets at home. When they gave us a thumbs up it was time to get our long time UK bloodstock agent Ronald Rauscher to start asking questions of his many contacts.
“The Tattersall’s Horses In Training Sale runs over four days with a whopping catalogue of anything up to 1200 horses. We usually get down to a short list of ten per cent of the catalogue. It’s not unusual for us to have around 120 horses inspected by veterinarians. Spangler was one of that number in 2021. We were happy to buy him for 40,000 pounds sterling or AUD $75,000. He’s already a very cheap horse.”
Trainer Kris Lees didn’t produce Spangler until late July 2022, some ten months after his previous run in England. He was in need of the outing when fifth in a Kensington midweeker but improved significantly next start to win a Cl 1 at Newcastle over 1400m defeating stablemate Highly Ambitious. He kept working to the line, but nothing like his finishing surge on Saturday. Lees wisely eased him again, and Spangler didn’t reappear until early November when he finished sixth 4.5 lengths from the winner in a BM78 at Rosehill. He dropped to a BM72 at Canterbury twenty days later and gave his first glimpse of above average ability. Coming from last of nine runners, he stormed down the outside to score emphatically from the handy Media Starguest.
He didn’t win again until last Saturday, but was responsible for a couple of top efforts. Earlier this year he came from last on the turn to beat all but Point Counterpoint in the Ballina Cup after which he was given a freshen up with the Provincial-Midway Championship still almost three months away. He had a soft barrier trial in readiness for the upcoming qualifiers and caused Australian Bloodstock some concern when unplaced in the first two at Hawkesbury and Kembla. On both occasions he simply got too far back and was never a chance. He raced much more competitively in the Newcastle Wild Card in which he finished second to stablemate Loch Eagle. To the delight of Luke Murrel, Jamie Lovett, and Spangler’s huge ownership group that second placing springboarded him into Saturday’s rich final. He was obviously aided by a clever ride and a Heavy 8 track, but there’s little doubt he picked the right day to deliver his best performance since landing in Australia.
Luke Murrell was proud to receive the handsome trophy on behalf of Spangler's huge ownership group - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“You can never tell when these European horses are going to strike their best form,” says Kris Lees. “Many of them have had little race experience and the acclimatisation factor varies from horse to horse. Some of them can take twelve months to settle in. I feel Spangler has taken a long time to put it all together. He’s a lovely horse to have around and is a great favourite with members of my team. We’ll just go along quietly for a few weeks and let him bounce back from Saturday’s race even though he made it look easy. He’ll have a benchmark run in a few weeks to keep him ticking over, and then we’ll aim up for the listed Scone Cup over the mile on Friday May 12th. A win or a second placing would qualify him for the Big Dance on Melbourne Cup day, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the Little Dance turns out to be his mission on the same day.”
Kris Lees didn’t have a runner in last year’s Little Dance but saddled up four runners in the $2 million dollar “big brother”. One of his quartet Rustic Steel was successful, courtesy of a vintage Nash Rawiller ride. Kris, who presides over the biggest of the state’s provincial stables has dominated the Polytrack Provincial Championship series since its inception in 2015. The Newcastle based horseman has won the prestigious event with Danish Twist (2016), Serene Miss (2018), Cristal Breeze (2021), Kinloch (2022) and Spangler last Saturday. The grey completed a double for Kris who’d won the listed South Pacific Classic with Razeta earlier in the day.
This is the fifth Provincial Championship Final trophy Kris Lees has taken home to Newcastle - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Australian Bloodstock were very comfortable with their decision to skip the herculean task awaiting Protagonist had he taken his place in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes field. The travelling companion to Dubai Honour had been very effective in winning the Sky High Stakes on firm ground at Rosehill, but not so effective on the Heavy 9 in the Doncaster. “He was on a hiding to nothing chasing the superstars on a Heavy 8 in the Queen Elizabeth,” said Luke Murrell. “He’s in perfect shape and will go to Queensland for races like the Hollindale Stakes and the Doomben Cup under the supervision of Kris Lees.”
By pure coincidence Spangler has an Aussie connection which may have steered a few omen punters onto the smooth moving grey gelding. Those who admire a good horse have fond memories of the long striding sprinter - miler Starspangledbanner who distinguished himself on both sides of the world. In Australia he won five from twelve for Melbourne trainer Leon Corstens including an Oakleigh Plate and a Caulfield Guineas. He was the first Gr 1 winner for his celebrated sire Choisir. He led throughout in his 2009 Caulfield Guineas in which Manhattan Rain ran third and So You Think fifth. Those horses would provide the Cox Plate quinella just two weeks later.
Starspangledbanner would later stamp himself as a world class sprinter with brilliant wins in the Golden Jubilee Stakes and the historic July Cup at Newmarket in the hands of Aidan O’Brien. Despite some well documented fertility problems, the brilliant horse has produced several elite performers including State of Rest who’ll stand the upcoming breeding season at Newgate Farm in the NSW Hunter Valley at a fee of $44,000. State of Rest holds the distinction of having won at Gr 1 level in four countries. Australian Bloodstock’s Spangler is unlikely to ever contest a race at Gr 1 level, but thanks to the modern day prize money explosion he has already banked a very healthy $509,000. He’s not Starspangledbanner but that’s pretty handy money and there’s more to come.
Starspangledbanner (Dan Nikolic) led all the way to beat a classy field in the 2009 Caulfield Guineas - courtesy Racing Photos.
(Banner image - Spangler and James McDonald cruised home in the Championship Final - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)