Grand Reserve (Maschino) got the better of his stablemate In Good Order (American Pharoah) at Belmont on Wednesday despite hitting a flat spot at the top of the straight.
They were resuming in the Schweppes Hcp (1300m) after unplaced runs in the G2 WATC Derby (2400m) in April and trainer Dan Morton is looking forward to the spring and summer carnivals with both gallopers. “That was a good watch,” Morton said. “The winner covered a fair bit of ground and that told in the end. Today was all about getting the wheels turning and I’m chuffed with both runs.”
Grand Reserve (black cap) is raced by a syndicate managed by his wife Carol after making $85,000 at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions. He had doubled up at Ascot in the lead-up to a midfield finish in the WATC Derby. “We were under pressure at the 600m and it took a while for him to pick up and get going,” jockey Lucy Fiore explained. “Dan was positive he could make a good start to this prep. He dug deep and will get over more ground.”
Alwyn Park owner John Andrew bred him using resident sire Maschino over Champagne Bubbles who is now three-from-three at stud following the Vert De Grece (Ire) winners Aidan’s Choice and Grece Lightning.
Champagne Bubbles has an unraced 3yo Maschino filly with Two Fillies Stud owners Nino and Tina Tufilli, a 2yo colt by I’m All The Talk and a yearling filly by Rommel.
It’s a family that has served Andrew so well since he began breeding from second-dam Shathor (Tirol) in 2004. Captain Obvious (Verglas) arrived first-up and he won 16 races including the G3 Singapore Jumbo Jet Trophy, Malaysian Magic Millions Classic and the Meydan Al Naboodah Hcp in Dubai.
Shathor’s older half-brother Umah (Umatilla) had won the WATC Karrakatta Plate (1200m) when it was a Group 1 in 1996.
Grand Reserve was the second-leg of a winning double for Maschino on Wednesday following Trio in the Drummond Golf Hcp (1300m). He’s a homebred for Stan Quinlivan’s Esquin Syndicate and was coming off a Northam maiden victory earlier this month.
Maschino (Encosta de Lago) stands for an $8,800 (inc GST) fee at Alwyn Park. Contact John Andrew for bookings or further information on 0419 929 483.
