Expressway To Apollo? Trapeze Artist’s Greatest Act

Trapeze Artist wins the Group Two Expressway Stakes.

Trapeze Artist resumes with a dominant win in the G2 Expressway Stakes (Lisa Grimm)

 

According to Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo was the God of, among other things … ‘prophecy’.

Trapeze Artist’s owner, Bert Vieira, wouldn’t consider himself a prophet as such, but is confident that his exciting colt will give Saturday week’s Apollo Stakes over 1400m at Randwick one helluva shake.

And why not? After all, Trapeze Artist put on a sublime performance at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday, proving far too strong for his rivals in the Group Two Sydney Markets Expressway Stakes over 1200m at Rosehill Gardens.

There’s a slight problem though. Well, maybe a bit more than slight.

The Apollo has also been slated as the racetrack return of Winx who will be shooting for 23 straight in the Group Two, plus seeking out her third successive victory in the Sydney feature.

However, if Vieira is daunted at the prospect, he’s doing a good job of hiding it.

“Some people are still having a hard time acknowledging just how good this horse (Trapeze Artist) is,” Vieira muses. “He won in record time on debut as a 2YO, he won the Group Three Black Opal Stakes by three lengths, he won the Group One Golden Rose by over four lengths last spring and now he’s come out and won, first up, the Group Two Expressway, at weight for age.

“Sure, he’s got the job ahead in the Apollo, but no horse is infallible … imagine if Trapeze Artist won? It would make news all around the world.

“And I certainly wouldn’t see any downside if he ends up running second to the world’s best racehorse on turf!”

A son of Champion Sire, Snitzel, Trapeze Artist is out of the Domesday mare, Treppes, a half sister to Group One QTC Stradbroke Handicap winner, Crawl, dual stakes winner, Old Man, and to the dam of Melbourne Group Two winner and Group One VRC Australian Guineas runnerup, Marching.

Win, lose or draw in the Apollo, Vieira explains that Trapeze Artist’s ultimate autumn goal is the Group One Randwick Guineas over 1600m on 10 March.

Trainer Gerald Ryan was also enthused with Trapeze Artist’s high wire act in the Expressway: “He is a lot stronger now and more switched on, but is still underrated.

“Right from the word go, this time in, I said to Bert that his horse is flying. Trapeze Artist has always flown under the radar and I think this autumn you will see a real nice horse.”

For a colt that was passed in for $300,000 at the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Trapeze Artist has now won over $1 million on the track, while Vieira also reveals that he has fielded several offers about the colt standing at stud when his racing days are done.

Indeed, right about now, that $300,000 is looking very cheap.

Vieira, a financier by trade before deciding to accumulate some 30 racehorses and 65 broodmares, reckons this is his best year to date since getting into the thoroughbred industry a decade ago.

“Aside from what’s happening on the track, among my current crop of yearlings I sold the most expensive Epaulette at the Gold Coast Magic Millions and I’m pretty proud of the fact I’ll be selling seven in Book 1 at Easter through John North’s Bowness Stud,” Vieira adds. “I’ve also got four for the Melbourne Premier, three for the Adelaide Magic Millions and three in next week’s Inglis Classic in Sydney.

“It’s all shaping up to be a very good year.”

The Power of Passion

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