How do we define success as a racehorse? If it’s doing your best and having a go every time you step out then this $1million yearling has to be called a success.
Three year-old Not a Single doubt gelding Flashing Steel notched his fourth consecutive win at Canterbury on Wednesday and has won more BOBS bonuses than any other horse this season.
A very gritty Flashing Steel jumps off the canvas for 4 in a row!@stanley_jett with a strong ride for @ANeashamRacing.@OTIRacing pic.twitter.com/vF5SgSSa9P
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2023
Prepared by Annabel Neasham, Flashing Steel showed good ability in his two year-old season with a third placing behind Best of Bordeaux in the Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes, but he struggled for any consistency and was duly gelded.
Gelding would have been a painful decision as he was a $1million Magic Millions purchased from the Baramul Stud draft for Tony Fung Investments/Phoenix Thoroughbreds and was actually one of four colts at that sale to sell for over $1million by Not a Single Doubt…. All of them are now geldings.
Flashing Steel has turned over a new leaf since being gelded and now runs for a syndicate headed by OTI Racing in whose colours he runs. They purchased him from a Magic Millions Online Sale last year for $112,000.
After breaking his maiden at Scone last December he has made steady progress before striking a purple patch of form that has delivered four wins in a row including today’s neck win under 60kg in the Benchmark 72 event over 1550m.
“It was a tough win, Tim Clark’s horse put a head on me and he really pinned his ears back and pushed to the line and under a big weight after doing three in a row he really showed us what he’s got,” said winning rider Jett Stanley.
Flashing Steel has won five BOBS bonuses for each of his five wins amassing prizemoney in excess of $200,000 and while he may take a while to recoup his lofty yearling sale price, he’s become a very honest racehorse and you can’t ask more than that.
Flashing Steel is the best of two winners from Medaglia Valore, a winning daughter of Group II winner and Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Military Rose.
The above is an excert of Tara Madgwick’s breednet.com article and can be read here.