Malkovich Sets Canterbury Alight

14 Dec Malkovich Sets Canterbury Alight

Malkovich set the 1100m alight at Canterbury Park on Friday evening when winning the Schweppes Handicap in record time with Rachel King in the saddle. The win got Darby Racing and King’s weekend off to a flyer as the pair would taste feature race success the next day in the Group 2 The Agency Villiers Stakes (1600m) with Greysful Glamour.

He jumps, he leads, he runs and he wins. The Bjorn Baker-trained Malkovich is building an excellent record for the Darby Racing team as a tear-away leader.

Malkovich was having just his sixth start and off a freshen-up with his second racing campaign being a fruitful one. After having one start as a two-year-old, in the Group 3 Golden Gift (1100m), he was sent for a spell.

His jump and run style wasn’t lost on Baker who has taken him to the races five times since that debut run and he hasn’t missed a placing since, including three wins.

Malkovich was purchased by Darby Racing for $240,000 at the 2019 Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale from the draft of Woodpark Stud. The Choisir colt was purchased by Woodpark earlier in the year for $85,000 from the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale which is a testament to the eye of Woodpark’s Jean Dubios.

Woodpark have been a participant at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale the past number of years and Malkovich certainly looks the headline act at the moment.

As well as Malkovich the Wandjina x Swish colt that was offered at the same sale was sold to Matt Laurie’s Carringbush Park for $140,000. The now gelded three-year-old is named Wunambal and was a winner at his second start after finishing third on debut. He then went on to finish a very close second in a Caulfield two-year-old race.

Mr Maharaj, trained by Todd Smart who purchased the son of Iffraaj from that sale has also been a winner out of that Woodpark draft also.

The team at Woodpark Stud will eagerly be awaiting the debut of See You In Spring who was sold at the 2020 edition of the sale and purchased by First Light Racing in conjunction with agent Paul Willetts and will be trained out of Cranbourne by Trent Busittin and Natalie Young.

See You In Spring was bred on the farm and is by French sire-sensation Siyouni who has produced 50% stakes performers from runners here in Australia.

As the Yearling Sale season rolls back around the keen eye of Jean Dubois and Woodpark Stud may be on the lookout for the next Malkovich.

Malkovich flew around Canterbury Park with Rachel King in the saddle.