Expressway Stakes: Ole Kirk bids to join greats

Ole Kirk will join an elite honour roll of outstanding three-year-olds that includes legendary Hall of Fame champions Kingston Town, Luskin Star and Saintly if he wins the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Since the weight-for-age sprint’s inception in 1974, it has proven to be a good race for three-year-olds with 12 wins for the age group.

Luskin Star (1978) was the first three-year-old to win the Expressway and has since been joined by the likes of Kingston Town (1980), Sir Dapper (1984) and Saintly (1996).

In recent years, Trapeze Artist (2018) and Standout (2020) have been good enough to beat the older horses.

Ole Kirk showed his class to win the Caulfield Guineas. Picture: Alex CoppelSource:News Corp Australia

The Team Hawkes-trained Ole Kirk is the only three-year-old among eight runners in the Expressway field on Saturday and is rated at $3.70 behind Godolphin mare Savatiano ($3.50) in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting.

With a combination of superb breeding, conformation and racetrack performance, the exciting Ole Kirk is estimated to be worth close to $50 million, making him the most valuable racehorse in training.

Ole Kirk is by sire sensation Written Tycoon out of Naturale, herself a full sister to all-time great sprinter, Black Caviar, undefeated in 25 starts. The colt was purchased for $675,000 at the 2019 Melbourne Premier Sale as a yearling.

From just eight starts, Ole Kirk has won three races and already earned more than $2 million prizemoney for his syndicate of owners that includes Neil Werrett, a part-owner of Black Caviar.

Ole Kirk’s dual Group 1 wins in the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas last spring ensured the colt’s future as a stallion prospect.

Co-trainer John Hawkes said Ole Kirk has pleased the stable since coming back into work over summer including his closing fourth in a recent Rosehill barrier trial behind Greyworm.

“The colt’s coming along well, this is only his first run back but he’s fine,’’ Hawkes said. “We will just see how he goes in this race, we don’t get ahead of ourselves, but we are happy with him.’’

Ole Kirk is the only three-year-old in Saturday’s Expressway Stakes. Picture: Alex CoppelSource:News Corp Australia

The Expressway Stakes signals the unofficial start of the Sydney autumn carnival and since 2000, nine winners of this race have trained on to score at Group 1 level later that season – Mr Innocent (2000), Tie The Knot (2001), Lonhro (2003), Court’s In Session (2005), Rangirangdoo (2010), Appearance (2014), Trapeze Artist (2018) and Alizee (2019).

Hawkes holds the training record in the Expressway Stakes with five wins, including successes with three-year-olds Happy Galaxy (2013), Mentality (2007), and Hockney (1998). His other wins were with Our Boy Malachi (2016) and champion Lonhro.

The Hawkes stable are in the fortunate position of also training another richly talented three-year-old, North Pacific, winner of the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes and a close second to Ole Kirk in the Golden Rose. North Pacific was purchased as a yearling for $800,000 at the same sale as Ole Kirk.

North Pacific won a barrier trial at Rosehill midweek and Hawkes said the colt is likely to resume at Royal Randwick on February 6 in either the $1 million Inglis 3yo Sprint (1200m) or the Group 3 $160,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).

The Expressway meeting is an important one for Team Hawkes as Ole Kirk isn’t the only potential autumn carnival contender they have resuming on Saturday.

Brilliant sprinter Masked Crusader, promising imported stayer Mount Popa, and emerging juvenile Montana Flash, all part-owned by Rupert Legh of Chautauqua fame, are returning to racing at Rosehill.

Masked Crusader failed to fire in the spring. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Masked Crusader is the hottest favourite on the program at $1.90 for the closer, the ATC Members Recognition Handicap (1200m).

“Things didn’t go right for Masked Crusader last spring,’’ Hawkes said. “But this is a different preparation, he won his trial and is doing well.’’

Mount Popa hasn’t raced since a very impressive win at just his second Australian start at Randwick last June and is at $5.50 for the Sky Racing Active Handicap (1500m).

Hawkes said former French galloper Mount Popa has needed time to settle in and adapt his new surrounds.

“These European horses can take time to acclimatize, sometimes they come up, sometimes they don’t,’’ the trainer said. “But he is pleasing up this time in work so we will push on. I like him, he’s a nice horse but we will let him work his way through the grades.’’

Montana Flash failed at his only start last spring and is first-up in the Group 3 $160,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m).

“We were disappointed with his first run but he he’s a bit more mature this time,’’ Hawkes said. “He’s hitting the line strongly in his trials and we will give him his chance.’’

The Hawkes stable also has Shaik ($4.40) lining up in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1400m).

“Shaik might go to the paddock after this race but she’s holding her form and we will see how she goes,’’ the trainer explained. “I think she will be a better horse next time.’’

Originally published asOle Kirk to continue Hawkes tradition in Expressway

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