Newgate Farm’s Henry Field has won his share of big races but he has never felt the nerves like he did leading into the $2 million Inglis Millennium.
Earlier this week, Newgate announced they had bought into Profiteer, who started a short-priced favourite in the Millenium, and the pressure was on for the Victorian colt to perform.
He did so in breathtaking fashion, showing sustained speed to control Saturday’s race and rocket clear to score by 5-1/4 lengths.
Roughie Baranof ($101) grabbed second with Pegasi ($31) another head away.
Field, who stands Profiteer’s boom sire Capitalist at Newgate, said they took a massive gamble buying into the youngster and were thrilled to get an immediate result.
“I’ve had a lot of Group One winners but I have never been as nervous going into a race as I was today,” Field said.
“It was a huge bet. It was a house, the amount of money we bet on that horse.
“We’ve gone from a house to a mansion because the way he won, he is a very special horse.
“Horses that fast, they make great stallions and that’s why we bought him.”
Co-trainer Mick Price has put his polish on a number of outstanding two-year-olds, including 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Extreme Choice.
He believes Profiteer is better at the same stage of their careers and is leaning towards bypassing Melbourne’s premier juvenile race to concentrate on the Golden Slipper.
“I think he is probably better than Extreme Choice at the same stage. He’s just got to train on,” Price said.
“So what do you do? You’ve got two weeks to a Blue Diamond and six weeks to the Slipper. I would say the Slipper is the bigger race.”
Winning jockey Hugh Bowman utilised Profiteer’s natural speed, spearing straight to the front and staying there.
While he questioned the overall calibre of opposition, Bowman said there was no doubting the colt’s quality.
“It’s unlikely there was Group One competition there today but there is no denying the eye and even the feel,” Bowman said
“It didn’t surprise me he went like that with the feel he’s given me and I think he can improve on it too.”
The Inglis Millennium was over 1100 metres and Profiteer will have to stretch out to 1200 metres in the Slipper.
Bowman, who won the world’s richest two-year-old race last year aboard Farnan, believes the colt can rise to the challenge.
“He’s just got to harness that energy. He is a sensible horse, he’s not a charger and I’m confident he can do that,” he said.
Bowman has won the two biggest juvenile races of the year claiming the Magic Millions Classic on Shaquero last month, and he could face a tough choice over which horse to ride in the Slipper.
When asked to compare Shaquero and Profiteer, Bowman said they were completely different types.
“This horse is more precocious. He is definitely a faster horse but to say he’s a better horse, I don’t think it’s a fair comparison,” Bowman said.
“(Shaquero) might end up a Golden Rose type of horse where this bloke, he’s a sprinter.”
Profiteer has firmed from $15 into $5 with TAB fixed odds for the Golden Slipper, run at Rosehill on March 20.
