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O’President emerges as another impressive juvenile for Coolmore sire

Fastnet Rock’s (Danehill) successful season continued on Saturday as his son O’President (2 c ex O'Marilyn by O'Reilly) produced an impressive performance in the Skyline Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick and in the process he became the 170th stakes winner for the Coolmore Stud-based sire. 

Trained by Chris Waller, the two-year-old colt led throughout to beat the Emirates Park-raced winner Hilal - who is also by Fastnet Rock - by a length and quarter, while Capitvant (Capitalist) was the same distance away in third. The winner’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m)-winning stablemate Shaquero (Shalaa) finished sixth. 

Waller confirmed after the race the colt would now head to the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Rosehill on March 20. 

"He will go (to the Slipper) for sure. The team behind the horse will back me up on that, he's a nice horse," Waller said.

"I don't think he's a natural leader by any means but he's got a bright future.

"They left him alone out there. Tim is obviously a great jockey and there are probably very few better in front at rating tempo.

"They let him get away with a tempo that O'President was comfortable with so he showed a good turn of foot at the top of the rise and was very good to the line."

Sold by breeder Kia Ora Stud at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to James Bester Bloodstock for $520,000, O’President is raced by a syndicate that includes Coolmore, Westerberg and Sir Peter Vela. 

He is out of the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner O’Marilyn (O’Reilly) who is herself a half-sister to Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Headturner (Anabaa). O’President’s I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) half-sister is catalogued as Lot 458  at this year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in the Kia Ora Stud draft. 

In winning the Group 2, the colt became the 91st stakes out of a daughter of O’Reilly (Last Tycoon). 

Fastnet Rock has sired 14 stakes winners in Australia and New Zealand this season, headed by Group 1 winners Avantage and Personal, while O’President is one of three juvenile winners for the stallion this season, which includes Listed winners Sneaky Five, and Acrobat. He is currently equal second leading sire of Australia by stakes winners with ten stakes winners, one behind Written Tycoon (Iglesia) and equal with I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).

The son of Danehill (Danzig) has 17 lots catalogued at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.