Artillery Fires Home in Stable Quinella

Te Akau's Singapore stable celebrated a quinella on Sunday at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore.

Stable trainer Donna Logan had confidence in both Artillery (4 g Smart Missile – Lycra Lass, by Shamardal) and Charminton (6 g Charm Spirit – Sarzana, by High Chaparral) heading into the S$50,000 Class 4 1200 metres on turf, and the two horses purchased by David Ellis CNZM performed accordingly.

Although slowest into stride, from barrier four, Artillery soon recovered to secure a nice trip behind the pace and after challenging to lead inside the 200m he drew clear late with a good turn of foot. 

It was a confident ride by Brazilian jockey Bernardo Pinheiro, who appeared fully aware of the resources he had beneath him in the straight, while his fellow countryman Carlos Henrique closed strongly for second aboard Charminton after racing three wide with cover. 

On footing rated Good, Artillery posted a polished time (1:09.8) over 1200 metres.

“He (Artillery) was first-up since May, where he finished fourth to Hole In One who went on to finish third in the Singapore Derby, and also won earlier today with Pinheiro aboard.

“Artillery looked well placed in the race with only 51.5 kilos and his best performances had been on this course and distance. 

“He looked good in a recent trial when he went to the line under a strong hold. He’s a lightly raced horse that has plenty of ability, and he raced pretty sharply which we were hoping he could do fresh-up.

“He can get back, but when he won his Maiden he sat second and again he was aided by taking up a handy position despite being slowly away.”

Purchased by David Ellis CNZM and Donna Logan for A$100,000 at the 2022 Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale, from the draft of Kenmore Lodge, and syndicated and owned by Te Akau Artillery Racing Partnership, Artillery has always given the impression of a horse going places and the manner of his latest victory suggests there is more to come. 

His sire Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock) was a brilliant racehorse: a Group Two winner and Group One placed sprinter, and his stock have always sold very well, as a leading freshman sire and he is now represented by over 1650 wins. 

Smart Missile won the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill and in his short career beat subsequent stallions Sepoy, Foxwedge and Helmet.

Te Akau provided the Arrowfield Stud stallion with the first of his 35 stakes' wins when Sassy ‘N’ Smart (Smart Missile), purchased for A$150,000 by David Ellis CNZM at the Inglis Easter Sale, won the Listed Welcome Stakes over 1000m before finishing second in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes over 1200m.

Dam sire Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) is also the dam sire of Te Akau trained Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Sprinter/Miler, 10 time Group One winner, and Horse of the Year contender Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), along with Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes' winner and Champion Two-Year-Old nominee Move To Strike - who is his sire I Am Invincible's first Group 1 winning juvenile.

After winning six of his seven starts, Shamardal became a sire of the highest class, leaving 46 Group One winners, and now has incredible success as a broodmare sire. 

Lycra Lass, the dam of Artillery, won seven races from 1200m – 1600m in Australia, and to date has left four individual winners of nine races from 1100m – 2040m, while the first three dams won 20 races between them. 

A good sized horse (16.1hh), with plenty of natural muscle and substance, Artillery has a lovely demeanour and continues to display the length of stride he showed when winding up nicely in his 2YOs in Training Sale breeze-up. 

Artillery carries a Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) cross through the sire line of Smart Missile and dam line of Lycra Lass.