Ellerslie 3 Year-Old Features: Impressive Quinella

Although contrasting performances, the winners of both three-year-old features at Ellerslie earlier today look set to be leading players in Pattern company this season.

A comprehensive Taupo winner on debut earlier this month, Spellbinder (O'Reilly - Scenic Sprint by Scenic)was even more impressive today in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes over 1400m, idling outside the leader till the turn before quickening away effortlessly, dashing away to win by six lengths, which could have been substantially more had rider Mathew Cameron not taken hold of her over the closing stages.

A tall, long barrelled filly with a decent dindquarter and plenty of scope, the scary thought for her counterparts is that physically she is far from the finished article.

Spellbinder continues the tremendous run of her sire who has gone to a new level over the last couple of seasons. With the first progeny of his very large books of mares just reaching racing age there is unlikely to be any slowing of the O'Reilly juggernaut.

Although the scratching of Gobi Ranger robbed the race of some interest, a field of promising three-year-olds lined-up in the 1400m Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes. While the race was run nearly two seconds slower than the Soliloquy there was still plenty of merit in the winning performance of Sacred Park (Thorn Park - Dosh by Danske).

Despite being hampered in the early stages by Kings Rock and racing greenly near the 600m, the impressive looking Thorn Park colt showed a turn of foot to put a length and a half on his rivals turning for home, and although appearing under pressure with 200m to go he drew away again near the line for a three quarter length win. The Tony Pike/Mark Donoghue trained colt carried some condition in the parade ring prior to the race which gives connections plenty of options leading into more important engagements.

There was some nice runs in behind Sacred Park off a slow early pace. Burnt Orange made ground well over the closing stages and third place getter Pajaro, a good looking Align gelding, looks an early winner back in maiden company.

King's Rock (Fastnet Rock - Nureyev's Girl by Nureyev) should not be dropped on his run. He appears a bit of a handful judging by the headgear he displayed in the parade ring, then he threw his head around in the opening stages of the race but ran home well enough when appearing like he was not entirely comfortable coming between horses, to suggest the step to 1600m is going to suit him.

Both winners look genuine candidates for their respective Guineas assignments in Christchurch.