Written by Jessica Owers for TDN Aus NZ
Sydney’s midweek meeting on Wednesday was at Randwick’s Kensington track, with the first three races occurring for newly turned 3-year-olds. The second race was the Astern At Darley Plate, an 1100 metre contest for maidens that proved a belter in the closing stages.
The Flying Artie gelding Flying Crazy, for co-trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, finished like Kingston Town (Bletchingly) in the final 200 metres, just pipping Devil’s Throat (Snitzel), with Sir Crackle (Choisir) back in third. The official margins were 0.2l and 1.68l. It was the first racetrack outing for Flying Crazy, who was very useful in a trial last month, coming second to Remarque (Snitzel) with Aitchdeetee (War Chant {USA}) in third. Both of these horses have shown significant talent since, so the form line was present. Flying Crazy bounced with jockey Jay Ford from barrier nine into what proved a messy race in the early stages.
Vesuvio (Brazen Beau) set the initial speed, with Sir Crackle, Hamaki (Winning Rupert) and Devil's Throat in the leading bunch. Flying Crazy had only one horse behind him into the straight.
However, the bay gelding peeled out and sprung an almighty gallop to gather in the field through the final 200 metres. The last 600 metres was knocked off in 34.59s, with the overall time at 1:02.61 on a Good 4.
Flying by name
Flying Crazy is owned, in part, by Philip Bishop’s Equicom Syndications, which also races Ruby Kisses (Flying Artie) and Casan Geal (Shalaa {Ire}).
Additionally among the owners is Will Forrester, who operates WBF Breaking and Equine Education in Glenquarry, in the green heart of the New South Wales Southern Highlands.
In 2020, at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Forrester and Bishop were inspecting yearlings, and set upon Flying Crazy from the Newgate draft, Lot 151 from the Encosta De Lago mare Forever Crazy.
It was the family of Shinzig and Strada through the second dam Fiammarosa (Danehill {USA}), while Forever Crazy was a full sister to the dam of stakes winners Beauty Legacy (Fiorente {Ire}) in Hong Kong and Sun Power (Fiorente {Ire}) in Singapore.
The pair purchased Flying Crazy for $40,000.
“Philip and I bought him with all options on the table, be it a trade or a syndicate horse,” Forrester said. “After I broke him in, I said to Philip that the horse really gave me a different feel, that he was something special, and we decided we’d keep him.”
"After I broke him (Flying Crazy) in, I said to Philip (Bishop) that the horse really gave me a different feel, that he was something special, and we decided we’d keep him." - Will Forrester Bishop syndicated Flying Crazy, and they sent the horse to Gerald Ryan at Rosehill. After a gelding operation, the youngster showed plenty of talent.
“We’ve gone through the whole journey with him now,” Forrester said. “He showed a lot of promise early in his work, but he just looked like he needed time to develop and grow. He always showed natural professionalism and talent and Gerald has done a great job with him and he’s come to hand very quick.”
Forrester was as impressed as anyone with Flying Crazy’s performance on Wednesday, which defied his pre-post odds of $9.50.
“At his trial, he looked like a horse that had been there before,” the pre-trainer said. “But he looked like a six or 7-year-old winning that race, not like a first starter.”
Great expectations
Flying Crazy was an early bloomer in his juvenile year, a tall, rangy horse that needed time to grow into his skin. He stands at 16.2 hands these days, which might account for his barnstorming run at Kensington.
“He grew very quickly, and he had a few little setbacks early,” Forrester said. “He had immature knees, and we put a bit of pressure on him early and then opted to give him time. He needed a bit of surgery in one knee and then time off after that, so we went through those motions until he was ready.”
Forrester is an astute horseman.
He was born and raised in remote cattle country around Kalgoorlie, and has ridden the rodeo and camp drafting scene through his youth. He has worked alongside Olympic Eventer Shane Rose at Bimbadeen Park and set up solo in the Southern Highlands in 2018.
Forrester has a diploma in Equine Management, and has spent six years nursing his breaking and pre-training facility to full health.
Among his clients are Jean Dubois’ Woodpark Stud and Milburn Creek, along with trainers Gerald Ryan and Gary Moore, to name a few. Among Forrester’s graduates is Arnaqueur (Astern).
His attachment to Flying Crazy is obvious.
“I’ve had the horse in my system all the way through,” Forrester said.
“We’ve really tried to look after him and let him tell us when he was ready. Gerald was really confident that he’d run well in this race, and he said to Jay Ford if he put him in a good spot, he’d run through a brick wall for you.”
"We’ve really tried to look after him (Flying Crazy) and let him tell us when he was ready. Gerald was really confident that he’d run well in this race." - Will Forrester
However, even Forrester, who has babied the gelding since his purchase at the Inglis Classic Sale, was wildly impressed by Wednesday’s win.
“That was something special,” he said. “It exceeded even our expectations.”
Flying results
Flying Crazy was bred at Newgate Farm by SF Bloodstock and Matthew Sandblom and, like Ruby Kisses, comes from the first crop of Flying Artie.
The Newgate stallion has firm fans in the racing community (among them Philip Bishop) since his G1 Blue Diamond-winning colt Artorius.
With only one crop of racing age so far, Flying Artie has had 46 runners for 11 winners and 13 wins last season, three of those being stakes horses. Along with Artorius, there was The Art Of Flying, who was second in the R. Listed Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley, and Giannis, who was second in the G1 JJ Atkins to Converge (Frankel {GB}).
Flying Artie will stand at Newgate this season for $33,000 (inc GST), a notable increase on last season’s figure of $16,500 (inc GST).
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