The $150,000 Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) witnessed the latest 2020 Spring black-type victory of a Sledmere Stud sales graduate when Pancho was ridden to success by Craig Williams.
A member of the Chris Waller training establishment raced in the colours of Laurel Oak Bloodstock, the 4-year-old son of Dissident had been responsible for a series of consistent performances in Sydney and Melbourne leading into the VIC country racing feature and returned to the winning ranks with the aid of a copybook ride by Victoria’s reigning champion jockey.
Significantly, Pancho took his earnings to $546,200 in posting his fourth career win — his second at Listed Race level.
Pancho was bred by Sledmere Stud and subsequently sold as a weanling for $150,000. Now both a 3YO & 4YO stakes winner, he races on behalf of Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Inspire, Boeara Holdings, Mrs M Meier, Mr J C Sutherland, McGrath Family, N & J Hughes, Mr D O’Brien, Mr M J Forsdick, Mr B N E Hastie, Mr D J Tilbury, Mrs S Tilbury, Mr M J Clift, A & P Hickey, Mrs D Boag, Mr L G Boag, Mr S J Parker, Tiani Vlei, Mr G A Pointon & Mr M S Riley.
The victory of Pancho proved to be the third notable win of the weekend for Sledmere Stud sales graduates following Friday’s success of Cultural Amnesia at Rosehill Gardens and Snapdancer’s victory on Saturday’s feature Victorian race program at Ballarat.
Pancho also proved to be the fifth individual stakes winner of the spring racing period in terms of Sledmere Stud graduates following the Group successes of Dame Giselle, Dirty Work, Yes Baby Yes and Trumbull (NZ) at Randwick, Caufield, Moonee Valley and Randwick respectively.
In addition to the aforementioned five stakes winners, the performance of Icebath to finish runner-up in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1400m) — earning her connections $1.5 million — should not go without notice as the Sledmere Stud sales graduate has also played her part in a spring racing period to remember.
Whether it has been in traditional Pattern Race contests or more recently introduced ‘high-stakes’ contests on the domestic racing calendar, Sledmere Stud graduates have done us proud during the first stanza of the 2020/21 season.