Sledmere Stud graduate Arkansaw Kid is now a stakes winning 2YO and a stakes winning 3YO — plus a Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes placegetter in between — following a determined success in the $175,000, Listed, Stow Storage Gothic Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Caulfield Cup Day.
The first-crop son of Darley shuttle sire Harry Angel (Ire) received a Damien Oliver ‘special’ in the nine horse field, squeezing between runners entering the closing stages and holding off $2.70 favourite Facile on the line.
The aftermath of the contest saw the connections of runner-up Facile fire in a protest against Arkansaw Kid. However, following a relatively short period of deliberation, Stewards found in favour of the latter and semaphored ‘Protest Dismissed’.
Arkansaw Kid took his earnings to $687,000 after just six starts, following two wins — the first coming in the $500,000 Restricted Listed Inglis Banner (1000m) on debut — and a prized minor placing in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) during his juvenile season.
Winning co-trainer Ben Hayes declared after the Gothic Stakes win, “He [Arkansaw Kid] got a bit further back than we wanted, but Ollie rode him beautifully and he got the gaps and attacked the line.” He continued in part: “It was good to see him do that … we saw the real horse he is.”
Hayes also added that the stable may now look at the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival with Arkansaw Kid after the colt’s return to winning form.
Arkansaw Kid became the fourth individual stakes winning Sledmere Stud graduate so far this season following the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) victory of Veight — since placed second in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), as well as the Listed Heritage Stakes win of Ozzmosis — himself since placed third in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m). Both are Sledmere Stud yearling sale graduates of the 2022 bloodstock sales series just as Arkansaw Kid.
In addition, Sledmere Stud raised Villeins was a very recent winner of the Listed Kalgoorlie Boulder Cup in Western Australia to add to the tally.
Sledmere Stud black-type performers in 2023/24 also include last season’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Little Brose who added a placing in the aforementioned Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) to his impressive CV.