A two-time second placegetter at the elite level last autumn, Ceolwulf put the spotlight firmly on himself with a stunning coming-of-age performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick.
The Tavistock gelding was bridesmaid behind Australia’s standout three-year-old of last season, Riff Rocket, in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Australian Derby (2400m). The stamina he showed in those two races may have made Saturday’s Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) appear a more likely spring target than the time-honoured Randwick mile.
But trainer Joe Pride saw something a bit sharper in Ceolwulf in the spring of his four-year-old season, which started with a sixth in the Spring Preview (1400m) on August 17 and a highly impressive Benchmark 100 handicap win over 1500m at Rosehill two weeks later.
Ceolwulf returned to black-type company with a second placing in the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) on September 21, after which Pride decided to step back down in trip for a shot at the A$1.5 million Epsom Handicap.
Ceolwulf has won over legions of supporters with his ever-improving performances, and he was sent out as a $4 favourite on Saturday against a form-filled field of 20. Those prospects appeared to take a hit in the first half of the race, however, as he was slow to leave the starting gates and settled near the back of a strung-out field.
But jockey Chad Schofield never panicked, biding his time and then pulling Ceolwulf to the outside at the top of the home straight and sending him into overdrive.
Ceolwulf produced an explosive turn of foot and stormed home down the outside, blasting past more than half of the field in the final 300m and soaring to victory by more than a length.
“It’s a good thrill,” Schofield said. “I was very confident today, but an Epsom is a really hard race to win. You need everything to go right.
“I didn’t feel everything quite went perfectly, I wasn’t in a great spot. I thought I’d be much closer than where I was and the pace was quite muddling, but one good aspect of that was that I was a bit wide and able to flow.
“I was really blown away by his turn of foot. I know he had 54kg, but he put the race away very quickly. As soon as I clicked him up, I was confident I was the winner immediately. He had a blistering turn of foot.
“I thought in the parade ring he looked a million dollars. I’m a bit surprised how immature he is still – he’s still quite a young, boisterous horse. But, wow, he’s got a serious engine.”
Ceolwulf’s 13-start career has now produced three wins, five placings and more than A$1.69 million in stakes for an ownership syndicate that includes New Zealander Leighton Howl.
“That was fantastic,” Pride said. “We knew he had the right sort of profile coming into it, and to see him let down like that, it’s very, very satisfying. He’s just a good horse on the rise. He’s going to keep getting better with age and he’s so exciting. That was a real buzz.
“He’s got a great engine. I see it every time he runs, the way he recovers from races and gallops on the training track. He’s an amazing athlete, and as I say, the best is yet to come.
“We’re yet to discover what his best distance is. He could well back up in the Hill Stakes (Gr.2, 1900m) next week, but I haven’t ruled out coming back here for the King Charles (Gr.1, 1600m). There’s a lot of options. Let’s just sit on it for now and enjoy this win.”
Ceolwulf was bred by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay and is a son of the Shamardal mare Las Brisas. Ceolwulf is a graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, with Pride going to $170,000 to secure him from Riversley Park’s 2022 draft.