Profiteer Upskills During His Spell

Listed-winning 2YO colt Profiteer (Capitalist-Athena Lass, by Snitzel) has spent the past three weeks undergoing a relaxation regime at Vantage Hill, reports racing.com. The colt, whose four starts have netted nearly $1.4 million with two wins including the Listed Inglis 2YO Millennium as well as second in the Gr2 Todman Stakes, has been doing dressage as well as hacking around the farm. "We love him, he's an athlete," said former equestrian star Blair Richardson who runs Vantage Hill with his wife Nikki. "He goes out into a paddock of a day and comes in at night. He's a young 2YO colt with a lot of energy and he's cheeky. He's maybe been going a bit hard in his races early on and we've just been doing basic dressage work, just trying to get him to relax." Richardson revealed, "We're doing different things with him. Last week, I went to the track and just cantered him in a jumping saddle. It's something away from his routine to try to get him a bit softer in his mouth and get his head down and not want to just be on the bit and go. Just try to find that off button." Co-trainer Mick Price believes the equestrian approach is a good one for colts like Profiteer, and already has an ambitious plan for his spring. "I think he's going to run in the Moir (Stakes over 1000 metres at The Valley) and then have a program to get him to the Coolmore (Stud Stakes at Flemington)," said Price. "I'm looking forward to him coming back in. He's going to be a nice 3YO." Profiteer was a $165,000 yearling from the Newgate Farm draft at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and he is the first foal of his group-placed city winning dam Athena Lass (Snitzel-Meduesa, by Fusaichi Pegasus).

Profiteer will likely run in the Moir (pic: Steve Hart)