| Champion Western Australian trainer Neville Parnham’s sweep of his home state’s features is complete following Bustler’s brilliant win in today’s $1.5 million Group One Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. |
| During his illustrious career the prolific big race trainer had won every major race on the WA calendar, except the Railway Stakes. That anomaly is now no-longer! Parnham’s expert horsemanship was clear to see with him able to peak his stable star for his Grand Final and complete a magical feature race to race double with son and rider Steven after they combined to win the WA Guineas with Zipaway. “It’s a big thrill to win this race,” a delighted Neville Parnham said. “It’s a time honoured race.” “I’ve had a few cracks over the years, but always have come up short. This year, I thought I had the right horse.” Parnham gave credit to his eldest son for his handling of Bustler during the race – working from the inside to the running line when required. “I don’t give Steve riding instructions, I don’t give any of the boys instructions, they ride a bit better than what I used to!” “I was rapt when he jumped clean. There was a fair bit of speed coming across. The winning move was down the back, when he came up three deep behind Comfort Me, I believe it was.” Parnham said there were different options for Bustler with the Gold Rush and Group One Northerly Stakes both possible targets. Bustler was bred by Mungrup Stud, and was originally sold for $32,500 to Ruby Racing and Breeding at Mungrup’s 2020 Dispersal via the Magic Millions Online Sales portal. He was then re-offered at the 2021 Perth Yearling Sale by the Ruby Racing and Breeding team and he was purchased by Santo Guagliardo’s Ridgeport Holdings for $130,000. Bustler and the aforementioned WA Guineas winner Zipaway are both sons of Playing God (Blackfriars), a dual winner of the Group One Kingston Town Stakes who stood successfully at Mungrup Stud before being purchased and transferring to Darling View Thoroughbreds in 2020. It was nearly the biggest of days for Bustler’s dam Cosmah Domination – today her three-year-old son A Lot of Good Men (A Lot) charged home to be narrowly denied when second in the $500,000 Group Two Western Australian Guineas. Just over half an hour later it was Cosmah Domination’s year older son Bustler who was doing her proud winning at racing’s elite level. They are the only named foals to date for the Oratorio (Stravinsky) mare who won three races at distances from 1250 to 1600 metres. She’s a half sister to Listed Boulder Cup placegetter and six time winner Amelia Storm. Cosmah Domination’s latest yearling, a Playing God full sister to Bustler and half sister to A Lot of Good Men is being prepared by Mungrup Pty Ltd for February’s 2024 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale. Bustler’s win capped an incredible day for Magic Millions graduates in the features on WA’s biggest raceday with six winners all sold via the Perth Yearling Sale. Among them were fellow stakes winners Be Optimistic (Blackfriars) and Let’s Galahvant (Galah) as well as the Magic Millions Gai Waterhouse Crystal Slipper winner Onemoretwomany (Tassort). And there was a Group Two win on the day, earlier and across the Tasman with Campionessa (Contributer) winning the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes for Te Akau Racing. She was a $60,000 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale buy for David Ellis from the Westbury Stud draft. Winner: Bustler Breeding: Playing God-Cosmah Domination (Oratorio) Breeder: Mungrup Stud Race: WATC Railway Stakes G1 (1600m) Sold for $32,500 Sale: 2020 Magic Millions Mungrup Stud Dispersal Online Sale Vendor: Mungrup Stud Buyer: Ruby Racing & Breeding Sold for: $130,000 Sale: 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale Vendor: Ruby Racing & Breeding Buyer: Ridgeport Holdings Earnings: $1,554,650 Owners: Ridgeport (Mgr: ES Guagliardo), ND Parnham, Mrs CA Parnham, DK Lee & RL O’Bree Trainer: Neville Parnham (Ascot) |
